From Port Hacking to Mogo

On behalf of the Board and staff team, I would wish to warmly welcome back all school families to Term 2 at NCS. A number of students and their families have joined us for the very first time this week and we are delighted that you have chosen to become part of our school community. I trust that all families have had some opportunities for rest and refreshment during the past two weeks of the school holiday period.

As I am writing this article on Tuesday evening, I am like many other staff and students who are organising their packing for our school camps. All of our Secondary students will have three exciting days at the Port Hacking Youthworks Conference Centre, located in the very beautiful Royal National Park near Sydney. Our Years 5 & 6 students and their teachers will travel south to spend two special days at The Original Gold Rush Colony in Mogo, visiting the Mogo Zoo on the Friday. I am planning to visit both campsites and am confident that all staff and students will return to school on Friday afternoon feeling very tired but also extremely satisfied as a result of participating in the stimulating programs that are being provided.

A great deal of time and effort goes into the planning of programs for these annual camps and students will have many opportunities to grow and develop as they participate in activities that may well take them outside of their usual ‘comfort zones’. They will be encouraged to work in teams in order to accomplish challenging tasks and will certainly get to know each other even more closely as a result. Not only will students be challenged physically but they will also be encouraged to think more deeply about this amazing world that God has created. There will be devotional times where they will be able to consider the incredible love that God has for his creation and there will also be times where they can demonstrate their musical talents and sing songs of praise.

Secondary Camp

Year 5/6 Mogo Camp

Another major NCS event that is rapidly drawing towards its climax is the School production of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’. On Tuesday I had the privilege of briefly visiting the MPC on two occasions during the day. I found this building to be a hive of activity as the cast, crew and orchestra for this musical production were hard at work during a full day of rehearsals. The stage was beginning to take shape, and bright lights highlighted the colorful costumes. The newly installed sound system was amplifying voices and the members of the orchestra were playing with great enthusiasm! This is another NCS production not to be missed so be sure to secure your tickets.

Our focus verse for this week reminds us that wherever we are and whatever we may be doing, God has surrounded us with his glorious creation. As our students and staff participate in the school camping program, visiting Mogo or wandering through sections of the Royal National Park, they cannot help but marvel at the incredible beauty of the natural world around them. As students rehearse for ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ with its wonderful songs, music and dance routines, once again we are drawn to reflect on the fact that it is our God who has generously provided his creation with these amazing gifts and talents. This is the God that we desire to share with every student at NCS through a school curriculum that is deliberately designed to reflect a Christian worldview perspective.