A note from Mr Bray - 11 August 2017

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Cor 12:12

On Monday of this week I had the pleasure of visiting Orange Christian School with Mrs Meek, Head of Secondary. When we arrived at the school early in the morning, we were met with incredibly wintry weather. We were informed that snow would possibly fall and we had come prepared wearing extra layers of clothing!

Although the weather was bitterly cold, our greeting from the Orange Christian School staff was incredibly warm. We were welcomed into the school and provided with a tour of their facilities. Melissa Brown, School Principal, was most generous with her time and she had arranged for us to meet with a number of their staff who carried out key roles of particular interest to our enquiries. We were able to spend the entire morning asking questions and learning about how this Christian school, which has many similarities with NCS, approached various roles and tasks. We both felt very much ‘at home’ as we engaged in productive conversations and explored new possibilities.

This visit provided us with a valuable reminder that NCS is part of a much bigger family of Christian schools that are located throughout the length and breadth of our nation. In fact, it would be more accurate to refer to ‘families’ as Orange Christian School is actually a member of Christian Education National (CEN). NCS belongs to the Christian Schools Australia (CSA) national family of schools. However, it is abundantly clear that each branch of this national family have much in common as we go about the vital role of partnering with parents and carers in the provision of rich educational programs presented from a Christian worldview perspective.

Our visit to Orange Christian School reminded me that we always achieve more when we work in collaboration. This is something that we already embrace at NCS. In any given week, some of your children, accompanied by our staff, will find themselves undertaking programs and activities that take them well beyond the formal classroom to join with students from other schools or to meet members of organisations spread throughout our wider community. Each of these occasions are designed to provide our students with rewarding learning opportunities.

These principles also apply to the relationship that exists between NCS and our school parents and carers. It is important for both school and home to remember that we are working together in partnership with the aim of providing the best educational environment for your children. However, we are not only working together to improve outcomes in the academic area but also in relation to the vitally important aspect of Godly character development.

In one of my early Term 1 BYTES articles, I referred to the wonderful passage from 1 Corinthians where Paul presents the concept of ‘one body, many parts’ to stress how the early Christian church needed to work together as a harmonious unit. In particular, the key introductory verse states, ‘The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body….’ I Cor 12: 12(a). I would encourage you to read the entire passage, found in 1 Cor 12: 12-31, where we clearly see how each part of the body needs every other part if the body is to function to its full potential.

Our visit to Orange Christian School allowed Mrs Meek and me to meet with other members who all form part of the ‘body’ that is Christian education. And, just as Paul has written, we saw that we can learn from one another and that these ‘lessons’ can help all parts of the body to function more effectively. Our long trip had been very worthwhile as we have now returned to our school with helpful ideas and suggestions that enhance the great programs that are already taking place at our school.