Before we rush into the rest of the week, I’d like to invite you to pause - just for a moment. Pause and think of one thing you are thankful to God for today.

It might be something simple, like the sunshine this morning, a good coffee, or a safe drive to school. Or it might be something deeper, such as knowing that God will provide what you need for the day, even when life feels full or uncertain.

Over the break, I read ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’ by Mark Comer. One of the key reminders in the book is that we often struggle to practise thankfulness because we are hurried. I don’t know about you, but I can easily relate to this. Life is busy and full, and without realising it, moments of thankfulness to The Giver, God, can be pushed aside.

I have been very challenged by the reminder that thankfulness requires intention. It invites us to slow down, to pause, and to recognise God’s faithfulness in both the big and the small moments of life. It also reminds us that trusting God is not something we do just once, but something we practise daily by choosing to place our confidence in Him step by step, even when the path ahead is not fully clear.

As a school community, there is so much to be thankful for this year. It has been a joy to see students settle so well into routines this term and to watch current families warmly welcome new families into our Northern community. As I sat and wrote this, I was reminded of the Prep students last week discovering the big playground, how patient our older students have been with younger students as they explain games, the excitement of our Kinder students as they say hello when I walk past, students looking fresh in their uniforms, and students and staff sharing how good it feels to be back together. Seeing cricket happening at lunch and parents connecting with one another reminds me that we really do have such a beautiful school community. These early weeks of the year remind us of the strength, joy and beauty of walking alongside one another as a school community.

To launch our annual School Theme, Walking Together with God, I shared with students in Line Up last week that this theme is inspired by Proverbs 3:5–6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

This verse reminds us that trusting God does not mean having all the answers. Instead, it invites us to place each step - our decisions, our worries, our hopes - into His hands, trusting that He is faithfully guiding us, even when the way forward feels uncertain.

You may recognise this verse from your children singing Colin Buchanan’s song. This theme reflects our desire to walk with purpose, care, and trust in God alongside our students, families, and one another. Life and learning are not always straightforward, but we want every child to know they are never walking alone. God is with them, and they belong to a caring, supportive community where they can encourage and cheer one another on.

As we move toward the end of the week (I can’t believe it’s already Week 2 and February!), we look forward to coming together at our Kite Festival this Friday. This will be a relaxed opportunity to connect as a school community. There will be plenty of kites to decorate, along with a free sausage sizzle and a cold treat to enjoy. We would love to see you there as we gather, connect, and begin the year together.

As I close, I am praying for you all, every individual who is part of Northern Christian School. I am so thankful that you are here, and my prayer is that we continue to pause, give thanks, trust God at each step, and walk together with love, kindness, and the living, never-changing hope we have in Jesus.

Bethany Armstrong - Principal

We warmly welcome Northern families to join us for this exciting event!

Kites will be provided for students to decorate with their parents and carers in the PAC, or feel free to bring your own kites for a fun flying experience! It's also a fantastic opportunity to reconnect or make connections with new families and staff.

This free event takes to the air at our school oval. There will also be a free barbecue. For catering and parking purposes this event is for current students and their immediate families only.

We encourage you to bring your camping chairs or a picnic rug for your family to sit on.

We're excited to see you all at this event as we soar to new heights at Northern this year!

Annual Review and Update of Student Details

On Thursday, 29 January, you received an invitation to update your contact details and your child/ren’s health details via our online approvals system. This system 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. New families may also be required to confirm their photography permission. This is due as soon as possible.

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 & Medical on our Parents Page.

Parent App available!

Available to all parents registered on Consent2Go, the Consent2Go Parent App is a powerful tool for parents to manage and update their child’s care information, approve excursions, and much more. To register, please follow the steps in this Information Flyer.

No Hat, No Play

As detailed in our Uniform Policy, and in line with our recognition as a SunSmart School, all students and staff must wear a hat when outside during Term 1 and Term 4. If students aren’t wearing a bucket hat, they will be asked to sit on the undercover deck.

The School’s bucket hat must be purchased from the Uniform Shop either via the Qkr! App or from the Office for $15.

100 Nights of Reading

At Northern Christian School, we highly value reading, and we want all students to develop a genuine love of it. As part of our ongoing commitment to evidence-informed literacy practices, we have discontinued the  Accelerated Reader program. Our aspiration is to build strong reading habits, motivation, and enjoyment for all students.

To support this, our focus for home reading will continue to be the 100 Nights of Reading initiative. Thank you to the parents and students who participated in this last year - we even had some students complete 200 nights of reading as they continue to read during the school holidays! It has been wonderful to see students’ love of reading grow. This initiative encourages consistency, choice, and enjoyment, helping children develop positive reading habits at home. A Reading Log has been sent home with students.

In 2026, all students are again encouraged to take on this challenge.
Students who complete 100 Nights of Reading will receive a book of their choice.

In addition to reading at home, students from Year 2 to Year 6 will engage in rich texts as part of their classroom learning. These shared texts are intentionally chosen and taught to build:

• reading fluency

• comprehension

• vocabulary

• a deep appreciation of quality literature

Independent reading will continue to be an important part of the school day. During this time, students will be encouraged to choose books that interest them and support their reading development, helping to build confidence, stamina, and a genuine enjoyment of reading.

We hope our students will continue to read both at school and at home, and grow to truly love reading.

In response to parent feedback, the Library will be open more regularly to support shared reading experiences for students and their families.

This year, we are trialling Read Together Mornings as a calm and welcoming way to begin the school day together. To support settled mornings and positive transitions into learning, these sessions will focus solely on reading, so there will be no Reading Café/hot chocolate offered during this time.

We look forward to a lovely opportunity to explore our library, share stories, and begin the school day in a calm and connected way.

Subway lunches are available on Fridays.

They offer individually prepared packs for students that include a 6-inch Sub or Gluten-Free Wrap (extra $1.00) and a juice or water. Add a cookie for an extra $0.50.

Orders must be placed via QKR! App by 9.00am Thursday for delivery Friday, and can be ordered in advance.

Please be aware if your child has a planned excursion before ordering a Subway lunch. If you do need to cancel a lunch for any reason, it must be done prior to 9.00am the day before the order is due for delivery and a credit note will be applied for future use. We are unable to provide refunds for cancelled lunches.

For instructions on how to use the QKR app, as well as how to cancel an order please see this FLYER