There is something pretty special happening around our school at the moment.

While we have certainly been enjoying the beautiful autumn weather recently, that is not actually what I am referring to.

You can hear it in the playground when older students patiently help younger students. You can see it when students quietly clean up without being asked, or when a child keeps trying to improve their Rocket Math score after getting questions wrong the first time. Sometimes these moments seem small, but they matter deeply because they show our students are GROWING not only academically, but also in character.

Sometimes, in schools and in life, it can be easy to focus on the challenges or difficult moments. Yet, as I have reflected recently, there is so much good happening across our school community that deserves to be celebrated and recognised.

This year, we officially launched our new whole-school positive behaviour statement, which was thoughtfully created last year by staff alongside our Year 6 student leaders. We wanted a statement that was simple, meaningful, grounded in our Christian faith, linked to our school values, and easy for students of all ages to understand and remember. Most importantly, we wanted something that clearly captured the kind of community we want Northern to be.

Our students are now learning and reciting this statement together through a whole-school chant:

At Northern Christian School We love God and others by showing Respect, Kindness and Resilience. We speak and act with love and care.
Together, we solve problems and learn from our mistakes.

This is strongly linked to our school values:

Respect - We expect and model respect.
Kindness - We encourage and celebrate kindness.
Resilience - We promote and nurture resilience.

So why do we have these school values?

As a Christian school, we believe education is not only about helping students grow in knowledge and understanding of the world, but also about learning how to live well within it. We want our students to understand that respect means treating others with dignity and care. We want them to know that kindness is about intentionally reflecting God’s love to others. We also want students to develop resilience so they can persevere through challenges, mistakes and setbacks with courage and hope.

We also know that learning to show respect, kindness and resilience does not happen perfectly all the time. Like all of us, students are not perfect, have difficult moments, and are still learning how to respond well in different situations. This is why we have worked hard to put clear expectations, routines and follow-up processes in place across our school that students can understand. When students are not showing our school values, staff work alongside them to help them reflect, repair relationships, learn from mistakes, and make better choices moving forward. Our goal is always to help students grow in both character and responsibility within a caring and supportive environment.

One of the ways we celebrate these values is through our Shining Lights Program. Students receive SPARKS, which stands for Students Practising Acts of Respect, Kindness and Resilience, when staff observe them demonstrating our school values in action.

Already this year, over 900 SPARKS have been awarded across our school community. Even more encouraging than the number itself is the culture that is growing because of it. Students genuinely celebrate one another when they see acts of respect, kindness and resilience. It is becoming part of the culture at Northern to notice and encourage the good in others, and to encourage one another to keep growing.

Thank you to our staff and families for partnering with us in helping our students grow in respect, kindness and resilience. Together, we are building a school culture where students are encouraged not only to succeed, but also to love God and love others well.

Bethany Armstrong - Principal

Prep to Year 6 students will participate in the Cross Country Carnival, which forms part of our Physical Education program; therefore, all students are expected to participate. This is a chance for students to give it their all and show perseverance by racing through the school and surrounding bushland.

Parents and families are invited to come along to encourage and support students. We seek volunteers to assist with marshalling and assisting at the finish line. If you can assist, please contact Peter Humphrey via email phumphrey@northern.tas.edu.au.

The Carnival is held in two sessions:

• Years 3 - 6 students start at 9.10am - 11.00am

• Prep - Year 2 students start at 11.30am - 1.00pm

The Community Engagement Committee (CEC) will be organising the food and they would love some help with serving lunch from 12.40pm onwards. If you are available to assist, please email the Community Engagement Committee.

Parents and carers are invited to join us as we share about our collaboration with Linewize, in particular their Qustodio Parent App.

• The Qustodio Parent App will provide you with:
  Content filtering - Manage which websites and content categories your child can access.

• App and game blocking - Prevent access to distracting or inappropriate apps.

• Custom Routines - Set different rules for different times (e.g. homework, bedtime).

• Internet Pause - Temporarily disable internet access on your child’s devices (outside school hours).

• Activity Reports - Get detailed insights into your child's online activity, including search history.

• Expert Advice - Access guidance from online safety professionals directly within the app.

We look forward to seeing you at our Parent Information Session.

It has been a wonderful start to the term with so many students trying their best in their learning. It has been lovely to see students intentionally showing respect, kindness and resilience to one another.

In English, students have been learning to write both question and statement sentences. Through a range of engaging reading and writing activities, students have explored the different purposes and features of these sentence types, including correct punctuation and how sentences help us communicate clearly. As students grow in confidence as writers, we have also reflected on how we can honour God by speaking and communicating kindly and respectfully with others. This learning has encouraged students to think carefully about the words they use and the importance of expressing themselves in thoughtful and meaningful ways.

In HASS, students have been exploring places within our local community and learning about the importance of caring for the environment around us. Through class discussions and inquiry activities, students have considered practical ways we can care for God’s creation, including picking up rubbish, ensuring sand stays in the sandpit, and making thoughtful choices in our daily lives. We have also reflected on how caring for our environment is one way we can show love for God and care for others in our community. This learning has encouraged students to think about their role in protecting and appreciating the world God has given us.

We are looking forward to all the exciting things we have planned for the rest of the term in Year 1.

Sophie Semmens - Year 1 Teacher

‘Reading In Bed Is Terrific’ Day
Friday 26th June

RIBIT Day is almost here! Students are invited to wear their pyjamas (with appropriate outdoor shoes) and bring along a book to enjoy.

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) will be baking delicious brownies and preparing hot chocolates for students to purchase for $4.00, which they can enjoy while listening to a special story read by Mrs Vavoulas in the PAC at lunchtime. The SRC has chosen to continue supporting Myanmar Flower International School in Burma by donating the funds raised. If you would like to support this worthy cause as a family, please use this opportunity to make an additional donation to bless the students in Myanmar.

Brownies and Hot Chocolate orders are to be purchased via QKR and close on Monday, 22nd June at 9.00am. Please note: No cash payments on the day, and no late orders will be accepted.