Northern Newsletter | 12 February

From the Principal

Stepping into 2025
with Faith and Wisdom…

We are excited about all that 2025 holds! I’ll admit—I’ve caught myself writing 2024 in dates more than once, but there’s no doubt we are well and truly in a new year.

The start of a new year is always a good opportunity to remind us of our school’s Vision - our aspiration - to be a transformational Christian learning community. Through a strong partnership with parents, we strive to provide the highest quality Christ-centred education, equipping students for life - now, in the future - and eternity.

This past week, I have witnessed so many encouraging new beginnings. Our youngest learners in Kinder have taken their first steps into school life, proudly remembering to get their drink bottles out at the start of the day. Learning new routines is such a significant milestone! Meanwhile, our older students have eagerly embraced leadership opportunities—including a thoughtful group of Year 6 girls who generously volunteered to clean the guinea pig cages. Seeing students support one another, show kindness to new peers, and embrace challenges has been a joy.

Embracing the New

I’ve been reflecting on the excitement, anticipation, and, at times, uncertainty that comes with a new beginning, such as the start of the new year. New seasons bring opportunities for transformation, and throughout the Bible, we see moments of fresh starts - the creation of the world in Genesis, the dove bringing hope to Noah’s family, the cry of a newborn in a manger, and Paul’s life-changing and gracious encounter with Jesus Christ.

Yet, stepping into something new isn’t always easy. In the Bible, we read about the Israelites’ path to the Promised Land, leading them through years of wandering. Change can feel overwhelming, but in every season, God is at work, guiding and shaping us as we seek Him first. And He is still at work today!

Seeking Wisdom in the New Year

As I read and meditated on Proverbs over the holidays, I was struck by the truth revealed in the book of Proverbs that reminds us that true wisdom comes from knowing God, understanding ourselves, and discerning the seasons of life.

While modern culture often seeks quick fixes and immediate answers, God offers something deeper - wisdom shaped through faith, experience, and trust in Him. This promise is beautifully captured in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), which says,

“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 is particularly special to our school community as it was chosen by parents more than 30 years ago to be our school’s Bible verse as a foundational reminder that true wisdom is obtained by trusting God and following His guidance. This doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges along the way, but it reassures us that when we seek God, He will lead us through every season with His wisdom and grace.

As we continue to walk through 2025, may we confidently embrace this new season, knowing that God is always at work - both at Northern Christian School and in our lives. Let us move forward with God, supporting one another as a transformational Christian learning community, trusting in His guidance. I pray for Northern that this will be a year of growth, learning, celebrations, and deepening our relationship with Him, knowing that He holds our future in His hands.

Together, let us pray that our students see new beginnings offered in 2025 as opportunities to be curious and courageous in knowing God more, exploring His incredible world, and discovering ways to serve Him and others whilst growing in faith and wisdom as they journey forward with joy and confidence!

Bethany Armstrong - Principal

School Calendar

2025 TERM 1

February - Week 3
21 | Kite Festival 5.00pm - 7.00pm
21 | Subway Lunch - Order via QKR! before Thursday 9.00am
21 | Little Learners from 9.00am - 11.00am - Summer Storytime and Picinc

February - Week 4
27 | Assembly - Year 1 and Year 6 hosting including Student Leadership Commissioning. All families are welcome to join from 2.15pm in the PAC
28 | Subway Lunch - Order via QKR! before Thursday 9.00am
28 | Little Learners from 9.00am - 11.00am - Catch the Breeze

COMING UP IN MARCH:
3 | Parent / Teacher Talks (Kinder - Year 6) 3.20pm - 5.50pm
4 | Parent / Teacher Talks (Kinder - Year 6) 3.20pm - 6.20pm
24 | School Photos

A list of Term Dates for 2024 and 2025 can be found on our Parents Page and also on the School Calendar.

VIEW FULL SCHOOL CALENDAR

Friday 21 February from 5.00pm - 7.00pm

Have you heard about Northern's Kite Festival? 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!

Parent / Teacher Talks
Kinder - Year 6

Monday, 3 March 3.20pm - 5.50pm
Tuesday, 4 March 3.20pm - 6.20pm

We will be holding Parent / Teacher Talks for teaching staff to hear first-hand from you, the parents and carers, insights about your child so that a fuller picture of your child's development can be understood by our staff. These sessions are not designed to replace our Parent /Teacher Interviews to discuss your child's academic progress, which will be held in July.

Please complete this short questionnaire which has been prepared for students in Prep - Year 6 and Kinder PRIOR to the meeting with the class teacher. Please feel free to return it via email to your class teacher or hand the completed form to them. If you require a printed version, please contact the class teacher or collect a form from the Office.

Book your 15-minute time slot below for each child below. The smooth running of this event relies on all parents keeping to the timetable. Please consider other parents and end on time. If you have any questions regarding this, please ask your class teacher.

BOOK HERE

On January, 28 January, you should have 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 will 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 and Medical on our Parents Page.

Netball

In Term 1, Northern Christian School will be offering netball to boys and girls in Years 3 to 6. We are hoping to form a Year 3/4 team and a Year 5/6 team but this is dependent on the amount of students who want to play. Once forms have been returned, we will inform the students of the teams. Payment will only be required after this. Registration forms have been sent home with students. Expression of Interest Forms were sent home with students recently and are due back by Friday 14th February.

Game information:

Dates: Tuesdays 25th Feb – 29th April (8 rounds in total)

No Games: 15th and 22nd April

Venue: Games will be played at the Southern Tasmanian Netball Association courts on the corner of Creek Road and Main Road, New Town.

Times: Games start at 4.00pm and 5.00pm on Tuesdays.

Uniform: Normal sports uniform.

Cost: Cost is to be confirmed, however will be around $40 per child.

Training: Tuesday lunchtime.

Kerrie Prentice - Netball Coordinator

School Photos - Monday, 24 March

Class, individual and family photos will be taken on Monday, 24 March.

Please be reminded there will be no cash option for payment, so please feel free to start ordering your photos online.

All FAMILY orders must be paid for by 4.30pm on Sunday, 23 March

Any family who misses the family cutoff but wishes to still have a photo taken on the day will incur a $20 late fee and will be able to order this photo through the second chance system.

Individual and Family Photo packages can be ordered via the Leading Image Website using the same access key STQGXY6A

ORDER PHOTOS HERE

Student Arrival Time

Student arrival time is from 8.30am onwards.

A friendly reminder - we expect all students to have arrived by 8.55am ready to start lessons at 9.00am.

There is no supervision available for students prior to 8.30am.

Upon arrival, students can go straight to the playground or their classroom.

100 Nights of Reading

We value reading very highly, and the benefits of reading are immeasurable. Our hope is that our students will develop a love of reading. To encourage this, we will continue our '100 Nights of Reading' initiative. Thank you to the parents and students who participated in this last year. We had some students who even completed 250 nights of reading! It is wonderful to see students’ love of reading grow!

In 2025, all students are again encouraged to take this challenge on.

Kinder to Year 6 students who complete '100 Nights of Reading’ will receive a book of their choice.

Teachers will be sending out more information shortly about reading logbooks.

We hope our students will continue to read at school, and at home, and learn to love reading!

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. If students aren’t wearing a 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.

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.

If you have any questions, please contact us

NAPLAN 2025

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 12 and 24 March 2025

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

This is the second year NAPLAN has been held in March, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year. These can then be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. The questions a student receives depend on their answers to previous questions. This means that students answer questions better suited to their abilities so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

Parent information brochures and other resources

A parent information brochure and questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child can be found at: NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website and covers a variety of topics, such as the timing of the tests and how results from the assessments should be understood.

It also allows access to a Public Demonstration Site, which shows the types of questions students will answer and the functionalities that are available in NAPLAN tests.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

From the Office

Student Data Collection Notice

Each year the Australian government collects data regarding your child and their enrolment. This data is used to inform Commonwealth School Education policy, and to help ensure that Commonwealth funding arrangements for non-government schools are based on need, and are fair and transparent.

Our School provides this data to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment automatically, but is required to inform you that this will occur. You can read more about this process or contact us if you have any questions.

Policies and Parents Page

We have recently updated some of our policies and parent information, which can be found on our Parents Page and Policies pages on our website. Please ensure you are familiar with these important documents.

Please ensure you are aware of our latest policies and don't forget our Parents Page has Handbooks, Term Dates, Medical Forms, and lots more.

Lost Property

We regularly have uniform items handed into the office that are not labelled with a student’s name. Therefore, we cannot return the item to its owner. Please ensure all items are named CLEARLY. If you have purchased a secondhand uniform item, please ensure the old name is removed and the new name is written clearly.

Feedback

We value your feedback. Should you wish to provide general feedback, please submit an online feedback form.

All Absentees

Fill out the webform at the bottom of the Parents Page on our website or email us.