Our 2020 school year has concluded and it is hard to believe that we are just a fortnight away from celebrating Christmas!

2020 has clearly been a year that will go down in history as a time that impacted and challenged our entire global community. At times such as these, we learn a great deal about what lies at the very heart of a community and I am delighted to say that at Nowra Christian School we were again able to confirm that we serve a faithful God Who truly does provide abundantly for all of our needs.

End-of-Year Assemblies

Until recently, with the easing of some of the COVID-19 restrictions, we had feared that we would be unable to invite any parents and carers to these assemblies. However, I am delighted to say that this was not the case as key family members accepted invitations to join the audience for one or more of the five different assemblies that were held on the Monday and Tuesday. These included the following assemblies:

K-2 Celebration Assembly
Grades 3-6 Celebration Assembly
Years 7-11 Celebration Assembly
Years 1-11 Special Awards Assembly
Year 6 Graduation Assembly

It was certainly a very busy time as outstanding student performances in a wide variety of areas were appropriately recognised by an appreciative audience. We were also delighted to wish all of our Year 6 students well on the occasion of their graduation from Primary School in readiness for the world of Secondary School next year.

Thanksgiving 'Virtual' Evening

I was again reminded of God’s faithfulness and provision as I viewed our virtual Thanksgiving Evening program as it premiered last Wednesday evening.

I do trust that all of our NCS families were able to find the time to come together in your own homes to view this presentation and to receive encouragement as we were able to celebrate the achievements of our students in a wide variety of areas. And, as has been the tradition at Nowra Christian School for many years, it was a special moment when we were able to conclude our program with a stirring rendition of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’.

Election of the 2021 Captains and Prefects

You may well have heard people in our wider society complaining about the fact that our world appears to have a shortage of capable individuals who can take on leadership responsibilities. The past three weeks have clearly shown me that this is not the case at our school. During this time, as a school community, we have made important decisions about who will be our student leaders at both the Primary and Secondary levels. I can say with absolute certainty that I have been inspired to see the numbers of young people at NCS who have put their hands up to apply for leadership roles. I will never forget the morning of 2 December when a total of 15 Year 5 students presented their election speeches for the consideration of students and staff. The quality of these presentations was amazing and it was an incredibly hard decision to know who to vote for from such a competent field of enthusiastic applicants. Needless to say, I have absolute confidence that student leadership for the 2021 school year remains in exceptionally capable hands!

‘Synergy’ Leadership Program

Continuing this ‘leadership’ theme, on Friday 27 November, I had the great privilege of accompanying our six Secondary Prefects as we travelled to Southern Highlands Christian School in Bowral to participate in the ‘Synergy’ Student Leadership Training Program. Our students joined together with the student leadership teams from the four other ATICS Christian schools in our region.

This day had a number of key aims. The first was to bring all of these dynamic young leaders together to share conversation over breakfast. The second was to provide them with a detailed training session on the topics of leadership and public speaking. And, finally, each of the five school leadership teams provided a stimulating presentation where they outlined their leadership priorities and strategies for the year ahead. I left this gathering with great confidence that student leadership at Nowra Christian School is ‘alive and well’!

Plane Simple Competition

Last year, students from a variety of local schools came together to participate in this competition. However, this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the judges came to each individual school to conduct the heats. Eight NCS students from Years 7-10 participated in this competition which was held in the Multi-Purpose Centre. Each student was first required to design and make their own paper plane before entering into two different categories of the competition. One category involved the longest flight distance whilst the other measured the length of time that the plane remained airborne. All students received a large gold cap with the Sikorsky helicopter logo on it.

Farewell to Tamsyn McPhail, Year 13 Ministry Trainee

On Friday, 4 December we officially said farewell to Tamsyn McPhail who had faithfully served in this one day per week position throughout the 2020 school year. After completing her HSC at our school in 2019, we were delighted when Tamsyn accepted our offer to undertake this role. Tamsyn has worked with both Primary and junior Secondary students, running activities and delivering challenging Bible studies. She has provided great assistance and support to our Primary School chaplain throughout this year. We wish Tamsyn well as she commences her tertiary studies next year.

New turf lawn laid in preparation for playground equipment

Some time ago, I shared the news that a new playground was to be installed for the benefit of Primary-aged students. Unfortunately, the delivery of this playground equipment has been delayed as a result of COVID-19. However, recently a large area of turf lawn was laid beside the Primary COLA area, adjacent to where this new playground will be installed. This will allow for passive recreational activities and trees will soon be planted to provide natural shade to this area. Hopefully, our students can look forward to enjoying the completed project when they return to school in the new year.

Chef Sweetie’s visit to the KT Kangaroos Kindergarten class

On 1 December, the children in the Kangaroos Kindergarten class were delighted when they received a visit from Chef Sweetie (who happened to have an uncanny resemblance to Mrs Twitchen, their classroom teacher). The Kangaroos assisted Chef Sweetie to follow a special recipe for the making of damper bread. It was an exciting time for all, especially when Chef Sweetie got a little carried away during the mixing of the ingredients! However, it all turned out well with all children receiving a slice of damper with their choice of honey or lemon curd. I had the privilege of briefly visiting the class and being introduced to the delightful Chef Sweetie. This activity clearly demonstrates that at NCS learning experiences can be both enjoyable and creative.

Year 7 Orientation Day

This very important event was held on 26 November and it involved all of our NCS Year 6 students becoming Year 7 students for a day. We also had the pleasure of hosting a number of other Year 6 students from various local Primary schools who will be moving to our school next year. The students were divided into three groups and they participated in three different activities during the day that were typical of the work undertaken by Year 7 students. The activities were linked to the Science, Physical Education and English areas. Comments received from the Year 6 students indicated that they enjoyed the various activities and found the day to be most encouraging. In the evening, a number of parents and carers participated in a helpful virtual Year 7 Information Session.

Students’ final day of school

After what has clearly been an extraordinary 2020, all students enjoyed a range of special activities on their final day of school that took them to a variety of local venues. Students in K-2 visited White Sands Park in Huskisson where they participated in a range of enjoyable activities both at the beach and in the park. Our Grades 3-6 students enjoyed numerous outdoor activities at Plantation Point before travelling to the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre for a swim and a slide. All of our Secondary students travelled by bus to the Waterslea Campsite where their day began with a welcome and devotional session presented by Youthworks staff. All students were then involved for the remainder of the day in a wide array of stimulating activities including archery, initiative courses, a climbing tower and catapults, and some free time to enjoy the waterslide and pool area. At the end of the day, I had the pleasure of speaking with students from all levels of the school and their broad smiles and cheerful conversations, clearly indicated that they regarded this day as being a fitting way to conclude their 2020 school year.

Final day for most staff – Friday, 11 December

All members of staff were delighted to gather in our new TAS/Visual Arts building to share breakfast together. This meal was capably prepared by members of the School Executive and Maintenance Team who were able to demonstrate that they also possess some well-hidden culinary skills! We were also pleased to be joined by two members of our hard-working School Board. Additionally, our staff greatly appreciated the presence of Ian Thuaux, alias ‘The Bearded Brewer’. Ian is also an NCS parent and a very skilled barista! At this event, we recognised the services of a number of staff members who will not be at NCS next year. This included Mr McLellan, Mrs Dallimore and Mrs Kelly Lawrence. We also said goodbye to Mrs Ellis who will be taking some Long Service Leave throughout Term 1 of next year.

Focus verses

In previous editions of the Bytes, I have often stated what a delight it is to work in a Christian community where staff have the privilege of beginning every day with a devotion and time of prayer. On many occasions, what staff have chosen to share has been just what I have needed in order to provide that extra amount of encouragement and inspiration for the day ahead. During recent weeks, a number of staff have concentrated on the topics of gratitude and thankfulness. They have challenged us from God’s word to realise that, even though the news may have frequently been dominated by the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, our NCS community still has much to thank our faithful God for. (This was also the key theme of Wednesday’s Thanksgiving Evening virtual presentation.) In one of these devotions we were directed to the following passage from 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 that states:

'Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus'.

We were encouraged to write out our own ‘Thankful List’ where we could include the many specific people, events and blessings that we were personally thankful for. This is the challenge that I would like to leave with you and all of the members of your families as we come to the conclusion of our 2020 school year. Please take the time to sit down together and to compile your own family ‘Thankful List’. I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised to discover just how many items, both large and small, that you will be able to include in your list. In many ways, of course, we should not be surprised as we have a loving God who gives generously to all.

Christmas greetings

Finally, on behalf of all members of the NCS staff and School Board, I would extend our Christmas greetings to you and your family. It is our prayer that you will take the opportunity to celebrate God’s wonderful gift of His son who was born into this world that He might become both our Lord and Saviour. Ultimately, this is the ‘real reason for the season’. We trust that you will find special times to celebrate this truth with family and friends. May you also enjoy a relaxing holiday together as a family and we very much look forward to having you back with us next year as we prepare to embark together on our 2021 school journey.

Prayer Points