Principal's Report

On a number of occasions throughout this year we found ourselves being informed about events that had been cancelled as a result of the impact of COVID-19. There is little doubt that this pandemic has negatively impacted our school calendar in many ways. However, I am delighted to report that the past fortnight at Nowra Christian School has been literally overflowing with exciting events and activities that have engaged our students all the way from Kindergarten through to HSC. In many ways, we trust that it is an indication that the world of schooling appears to be returning to a more familiar pattern once again.

‘Journey of Hope’ Trial Program

Our school counsellors recently informed the NCS Wellbeing Team that levels of stress and anxiety had increased significantly amongst our students in 2020, largely as a result of the impacts of the recent bushfires and the current COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made to seek or devise a suitable whole-school resilience program that could be implemented to assist all students. At this same time, we were made aware of a program called ‘Journey of Hope’, run by the ‘Save the Children’ organisation that was available free to our school because we were considered to be in a bushfire-impacted region. Consequently, we have embarked on a Trial Program, running from Weeks 5-8 inclusive, involving small numbers of students in age-appropriate groupings. These sessions are delivered by highly trained facilitators. If the program is considered to be suitable for the needs of our students, the intention will be to implement it more fully across the school during the first half of next year.

Final Board Meeting for 2020

On 10 November, the faithful parents and carers who comprise our NCS Board, held their final meeting for this year. Once again, they carefully considered the numerous items that were on the agenda and, where required, came to prayerful decisions about future directions for our school. On your behalf, I would wish to publicly acknowledge these hard-working men and women who have dedicated many, many hours in order to ensure that our school is well-governed and in a sound financial position. 

Conclusion of the HSC Examinations 

The final examination for our HSC students was held on 11 November. For our 2020 Year 12 students, this means that their formal education at Nowra Christian School has concluded and they now become members of our alumni association. These students are now enjoying some well-earned rest, although many of them have gained part-time employment as they prepare to commence tertiary studies or enter the workforce next year. I know that our HSC students were very grateful for the many members of our NCS parent/carer community who faithfully upheld them in prayer throughout these demanding examinations.

Stage 1 Chinese Feast – 12 November

I was pleased to accept an invitation to this special event that represented the culmination of a unit of work for Years 1 and 2 students who have been learning a great deal about life in China. Students have closely examined the geography of China, learning about amazing animals and places that God has created. Comparisons between lifestyles in China and Australia were also made. On the day of the feast, students were encouraged to wear traditional Chinese costumes or mufti outfits in the colours of the Chinese flag. All students and staff greatly enjoyed sampling the tasty dishes as we shared this time of celebration together. 

Kindergarten excursion to the UOW Discovery Centre

On 13 November, I had the pleasure of farewelling a very excited group of Kindergarten children with their team of staff and parent helpers as they boarded the bus for the journey to the Discovery Centre. On arrival, our Kindergarten children had the opportunity to explore a wide range of stimulating exhibits with aptly named titles such as ‘Emergency! Emergency!’; ‘Antarctic Research Vessel’; ‘The Campsite’; ‘Bricks and Clicks’; ‘The Dig’; ‘Construction’, ‘Market Place’ and many more. Everyone enjoyed having a lunch stop at Berry before arriving back at school where the bus driver complimented all children on their wonderful behaviour.

HSC Foundation Studies Induction Program – 16 & 17 November

This is a very important day that represents the commencement of the 2020/21 Compressed HSC program. It sees our Year 10 students moving up to Year 11 and our Year 11 students becoming our Year 12 leaders. I had the privilege of presenting the devotion and I chose to focus on what it means to use our God-given gifts and talents in order to achieve our personal best. The day included a busy program where various staff members outlined HSC expectations, including all NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) requirements. Mrs Donald, one of our school counsellors, explored the vital area of student wellbeing and Elevate, an external organisation, presented sessions related to how students can maximise their performance and also ensure that they develop sound time management skills. The following day, all senior students spent a full day at the Waterslea Campsite, participating in a range of teambuilding activities. On this same evening, a number parents and carers joined with us for a virtual Seniors Information Session. 

2020 Secondary Prefect Appreciation Luncheon

On 18 November, Mrs Meek and I had the pleasure of joining with our six 2020 Secondary prefects as we shared lunch together. The purpose of this luncheon was to convey our appreciation for the excellent leadership example provided by our 2020 Secondary student leadership team during what has been a particularly challenging year for all of our school community.

Stage 3 Primary Students head to Waterslea 

On 17 and 18 November, all students in Years 5 and 6 (Stage 3), participated in what was planned to be their alternative to the usual school camp program. Students were involved in a range of outdoor activities including canoeing, bushwalking and cooking. They also engaged in a number of Christian discipleship training sessions. 

'Speak to Me’ Public Speaking Final

This competition began in 2018 at NCS. The purpose of this competition is to promote public speaking and to build the associated skills required. All students in Years 7-10 deliver a speech during their English lessons. The topic for the speech this year was ‘The story that matters.’ One student from each class is chosen to progress to the final. The final was held this Friday before an audience of Years 6 and 7 students. I had the privilege of being a member of the judging panel with the responsibility of determining the two stage winners. The names of these students will be officially announced at a later date.

CRU Group – Guest Speaker – 20 November

CRU is a Christian discipleship group for students in Years 3-6 that meets each week at lunchtime on Fridays to learn more about following Jesus, to develop friendships and to provide mutual encouragement. Kellie Thomson, a school ministry worker from the Crusaders Union, was the guest speaker this Friday. Kellie shared some important thoughts on the topic of patience and also ran a few activities and games. 

Stage 5 – ‘Thank-you High Tea’ – 20 November

On Friday, I had the privilege of attending the Stage 5 Food Tech 'Thank you' High Tea. You can read more about this event in this edition of Bytes, but as you can see by the images below, I was able to join with several other staff members as we enjoyed delicious High Tea.

Focus Verses

‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.’ Colossians 3: 23-24 (NIV) 

When I shared a devotion with all of our HSC students last Monday, as they prepared to commence their Foundation Studies program, the verses that came to my mind were located in Colossians 3: 23-24. Here the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that, whatever we do, whoever our earthly employer may be, that ultimately it is God who we are serving. I stated that my earthly ‘masters’ are the NCS Board but both the Board and I recognise that we each owe our primary allegiance to God. In turn, I reminded our students that we have a generous God who provides each of us with a unique set of gifts and talents. However, in return, our God has an expectation that we will use these gifts and talents to the best of our abilities and for the benefit of those around us. I also reminded them that our value in God’s eyes is not measured by an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) score. God does not compare one student’s performance with another – He simply requires us to be faithful with what He has given to us. The key point that I wished to emphasise for our students, as they prepared to commence another year of HSC studies, was that we are expected to give of our personal best. It is actually an insult to our God to remain in ‘cruise’ mode and as a consequence to provide our second or third best efforts.