From the Principal

The ‘R’ word…

The ‘R’ word, also known as Resilience, is a common word that we hear now in education and was frequently used last year as we described how resilient our students were in 2020.

2021 is bound yet again to have several opportunities for our students to build resilience. My deep hope that our students and ourselves will continue to grow in resilience in community, and with the strength of Jesus.

In 2021, we continue to intentionally incorporate social and emotional learning into all classes, supported by a School Counsellor and School Chaplains. This Semester, as a whole school, we are focusing on resilience.  Each class is exploring what it means to be a Resilient Learner. At Northern, we use the following definition: 

Resilient Learners know that to continue to succeed, they need to be able to bounce back from challenges and overcome failure.

As I read The Australian on the weekend, a Saturday routine that I enjoy with a good coffee, I was consistently made aware that our world is full of brokenness, pain, sorrow and hardship. Whether we turn on the TV, open our Facebook Page or listen to the ads on Spotify, we are told the world revolves around us and life is all about ‘me’, promoting the idea that we can succeed without God and others. As I reflected on the theme of Resilience in the context of the articles I was reading, I was reminded that the Bible does not teach us that it is all about ‘me’. Instead, it teaches us that building Christian resilience comes from following Jesus. It is the fruit of putting a deepening understanding of God and His ways into practice and resilience will come as we soak ourselves in the Bible and turn to God in prayer (McDonald, D 2018).

I encourage you to think of ways that you can help your children help to fill their 'Resilience Backpack.’ Sharon Witt, a well-known Christian who is an educator, broadcaster and author of numerous teenage self-help and parenting books, offers some ways that you can help build your child’s Resilience Backpack:

Children need a secure base - develop positive and significant relationships – remember the well-known saying, "It takes a village to raise a child.” Parents are not meant to parent in isolation. Use your support network and lean on your community.

Help your children to develop their social competencies - these might include:

• how to make friends

• manners

• trying again after making mistakes

• dealing with bullies

• coping with people they don't like

• sharing

• making conversation

Instil positive values - how do kids learn? We model it. Kids are more influenced by what we do than by what we say ... they watch! So, if we want them to be generous, we have to show generosity. If we want our children to be good friends to others, we need to model what that looks like.

Help your kids to be good friends - friendships are important - they make kids feel connected. Navigating friendships is a huge part of resilience.

Be prepared to let your kids fail - Support your kids but don't do everything for them.

Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal

School Calendar

TERM 1

Week 4
Monday | School Banking
Wednesday | Year 6 Assembly and Student Leadership Announcement
Thursday | Subway Lunch - Order via QKR! before Thursday 9.00am
Friday | Little Learners 9.00am - 10.30am: Scavenger Hunt

A list of Term Dates for 2021 can be found on our Parents Page and also on the School Calendar.

Welcome Back Afternoon

We had a great turnout at last week’s Welcome Back Afternoon for our Kinder to Year 2 classes. Parents enjoyed seeing the work that has been done so far and spending time talking with the teachers and other parents.

All parents and carers of Years 3 to 6 Students are warmly invited to join us for our Open Classrooms on Friday 19 February.

Come and be introduced to the Northern community and hear what’s happening in each class. This year, due to our building works with limited parking, we are sadly unable to have our Welcome BBQ all together.

Years 3 to 6 classrooms will be open on Friday 19 February from
3.10pm - 4.00pm.

These are wonderful opportunities for you to help your child grow and flourish by supporting and taking an interest in their learning. These afternoons will also you to meet and chat with your child’s teachers: your child will be able to share their learning with you and their most recent artwork whilst you enjoy some afternoon tea.

There will also be an AR Reading presentation for our Years 3-6 families in the Auslan Room and a Math Pathways Information Session at 4.10pm for our Years 5-6 families in the Year 6 Classroom on Friday 19 February.

We'd love to see you there!

Year 6 Assembly and Announcement of Student Leadership

On Wednesday 25 February, we will be announcing the 2021 Student Leadership Team. Parents and carers will be notified before this date if their child has been selected for the 2021 Leadership Team. We welcome all Year 5 and 6 parents and carers to this assembly. Year 6 will be hosting and students from Years 3-6 will be at this assembly. This Term, due to the limited space, we will have Lower Primary assemblies and Upper Primary assemblies.

Unfortunately, we are unable to invite parents of our 'Praise God' Award recipients from other classes due to the limited space in the Multi-Purpose Room. Only the parents of the class that are hosting the assembly will be invited. In Term 2, upon completion of the Multi-Purpose Hall, Prep to Year 2 students and their families will also be invited to join us.

Year 6 Update

Year 6 have made a positive start to the year with their learning

This Term, we will be looking at programming in our shared Design and Technology time with Year 1. We will learn to program different robots and how to give instructions through a variety of mediums.

In Science, we have begun to look at microbes and the role they play in our lives. The class is looking forward to growing their own!!

In Art, we are focusing on Escher and his Tessellations. It has been wonderful to join with Year 3, buddying-up our students so they can learn to work and share ideas together.

It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm of so many as we begin the year and look forward to seeing the Year 6s grow in their leadership at Northern.

Mr Luke Lamont - Year 6 Teacher

Online Approvals System

On Thursday 4 February you should have received an invitation to update your contact details and your child/ren’s health details via our online approvals system. This also makes providing permission for school excursions and camps much easier than paper notes that get lost at the bottom of the bag.

As required at the start of each year, all parents/carers will be asked to confirm or update their personal information and their children's health data. This is due by Thursday 18 February 2021.

If you did not receive the invitation please contact the school to confirm your email address.

If you need to update any details for your child or yourself at any time throughout the year, please follow the links under Information and Medical on our Parents Page.

If you have any questions please contact us

School Banking is back for 2021 - every Monday except for public and school holidays

Your child needs to hand their banking wallet into the office when they arrive at school.

If your child has lost their wallet, please contact your School Banking
Co-ordinator, Malcolm Lacey, for a replacement or visit any Commbank Branch. If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2021 School
Banking program information pack from the school office, which will be available shortly, or visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking

Instrumental Music Tuition

There are several vacant timeslots for music tuition this year. Tuition is available for the following instruments:

• Piano

• Guitar

• Beginner Violin

• Flute*

• Clarinet*

Cost is $25 per half-hour lesson, once a week during school terms.  Invoices are emailed out monthly and can be paid through online banking.

Please get in early as spaces fill up quickly. 

Contact Andrea Marks to book in for lessons or if you wish to discuss the possibility of lessons on clarinet, flute or another instrument.

*In most cases you will require your own instrument to practice on at home. We may have a clarinet and/or flute available to borrow from the school.

Kinder 2022 and 2023!

Our School is currently experiencing growth across all classes!
With this in mind, we wish to remind current school parents that applications for Kinder in 2022 and 2023 are NOW OPEN.

Please contact us to ensure you don’t miss out!

From the Office

Netball 2021

In Term 1 (and 4) Northern Christian School will be offering netball to ​boys and girls​ in ​Years 3 to 6​. We are hoping to form a Yr 3/4 team and a Yr 5/6 team but this is dependent on the number of students who want to play. Once forms have been returned, Claire Gardner will inform students of the teams. Payment will only be required after this.

A note has been sent home with your child, so please check their school bag.

Student Data Collection Notice

Each year the Australian government collects data regarding your child and their enrolment. You can read more about this process in this document or contact us if you have any questions.

COVID-19 Regulations

Parents and carers are not permitted to enter classrooms during school hours (between 9.00am and 3.00pm) unless signed in as a Visitor at the School Office. If you are dropping off or collecting your child during these hours please attend the Office first.

All other parents and carers are reminded to wait until 3:00pm before entering the school grounds to collect students.

All School Absentees

For absentees please fill-out our Absentee Form OR email us before 9.30am.

• An SMS will be sent to parents for unexplained absences.

• Please ensure late students who arrive after 9.00am are signed in at the office.

• If students are leaving early they are required to be signed out at the office.

• A doctor’s certificate is required for more than three days’ absence.

• Please notify the office before 2.30pm for any messages your children need before leaving school.