“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”
—Nelson Mandela
I deeply admire Nelson Mandela. In 2004, I was fortunate enough to visit Robben Island in South Africa and see the remote prison where Mandela had been incarcerated. As I stepped inside his tiny barren cell, I was overwhelmed with what had been his reality: imprisoned for 27 years in the fight against Apartheid. I remember standing there with this eerie silence as the magnitude of his situation filled my mind. How can we live in a world where people have to fight for the right to be treated as equals?
As Christians, we know that every person of every race was created by the same God in His image. We also know that “whoever says he is in light but hates his brother is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He had a concise response.
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ – Matthew 22:37-40
Racism mocks the very words of Jesus. If we believe in Christ, it is important that we recognise each person as a son or daughter of God. This means that respect for others is a core tenant in our beliefs. At its very core, racism is not treating others as God wants us to treat them. Racism is not loving our neighbour.
We live in a corrupt and sinful world. This has been made very evident this past week with the news coming out of the USA. It is vital that we stand up against racism, that we act out of love towards others and that we teach our young people the values of love, respect and integrity. Having a moral compass seems to be lacking for so many in society. As educators, I believe that we have a duty to train the next generation to love rather than hate, to respect rather than denigrate and to value rather than demean. We can help shape our students’ futures by giving them a strong moral compass to navigate through uncertain times.
What then is the remedy for racism? Put simply, it is love. God’s love can counter hate. It can counter fear. It is a powerful force for change. We must be a living church and an active school that stands together in love against racism, bigotry, hate and revenge. It is our responsibility to help our young people to see and treat others in the way that God would want. We can and must teach our students to show the love of God through their words, actions and attitudes.
-Mrs Meggan James, Nunawading Christian College Principal
The value that we are focusing on for Term 2 2020 is Respect. The symbol that the PB4L team have chosen for Respect is the crown from our NCC shield. The crown symbolises authority including the authority of God. We endeavour to teach the students at NCC to show respect to peers, staff members, parents and other people in authority.
To emphasise the Biblical focus that all our NCC values have, the PB4L team chose a Bible verse from Romans 12:10 – “Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another.”
We have loved welcoming Prep – Year 3 students and Year 11 -12 students back on campus. Here’s what our students are appreciating about this transition.
“I’m excited to be with my teacher.”– Prep Student
“I like having lunch at school, dancing in class and drawing pictures.” – Year 1 Student
“My class practised and recorded a worship song which we shared for online Chapel.” – Year 3 Student
“I’m happy that we’re finally back and can talk to our teachers face to face and get more in-depth feedback.” – Year 11 Student
“The educational side is a lot more personal from school. I love the whole social interaction aspect of being here.” – Year 11 Student
“Being able to interact and do group activities and discuss ideas.” – Year 11 Student
“I’m enjoying coming to school again because it provides me with a support system that continues to care for my educational wellbeing, which the screen teaching cannot provide.” – Year 12 Student.
We love to see our students enthusiastically taking opportunities to reach out and share love with others. Our Year 2 to Year 12 students recently wrote letters to residents at AdventCare, the retirement home next door to our school campus. These thoughtful letters were given to the Chaplain at AdventCare to be passed onto residents.
Our students shared encouragement and Bible verses. They wrote about the experience of online learning, how they’re spending their extra time at home, their hobbies and their pets!
Here are some excerpts from their letters.
I know that it may be tough but many Bible verses state that we can get through these times by supporting and loving one another. Remember that even though you can’t visit your family, you can always rely on God, He will always provide. I hope you stay safe. – Ethan
During this lockdown it has been lonely. But the good thing is we can stay connected! It says in Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Even during these hard times, God is always there. – Katrina
I want you to know all of you are in my prayers and that although I don’t know you very well I want you to know I love you and I will continue to pray and ask God to protect you through this time. May God be with you. – Maimoona
When God promised He would give the city of Jericho to the Israelites He didn’t make it easy. In Joshua 6 it says that it took seven days for the walls of Jericho to fall down, meaning that if they had stopped on the sixth lap, Jericho wouldn’t have fallen down and they would have been defeated. It’s so easy to feel alone and to struggle in this time. Although the restrictions are beginning to lift, we still have a long way to go. I want to encourage you to hang in there and keep pursuing God’s Word. Right now it feels like we’ve been walking laps around this large impossible city with no clue as to when we’re going to be able to stop. But I promise you, that seventh time is around the corner, we just have to keep going. We will come out the other side stronger and with a renewed sense of God’s love and mercy. – Racquel
I would just like to say, keep going! It might be tough, and I might not know what struggles you have. But keep going!! It may be very hard for you during these times and if you need someone, call God. He is always there, and for me, after praying I feel heaps better. Put all your worries in Him and you feel the weight lift off your shoulders. Live happily! – Zoey
Well – We’re Back
It has been a time of crazy. We’ve been told; stay two arms lengths away from each other, only go out if it is necessary, don’t gather in groups and stay out of mass gatherings and crowded places. I don’t know about you but there have been times during this COVID season that I’ve felt quite isolated. When I received the news that school was heading back, I felt relieved and nervous all at the same time. The start of a school year is a time of heightened anxiety, but this year we get a double dose of back-to-school anxiety thanks to COVID-19.
With God’s help, you can ease your child’s anxiety as we start school again!
In the Old Testament of the Bible, there is a book of wisdom. In Proverbs 16:3 we are given a promise, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” With God’s help, there are some steps you can take to ease your child’s anxiety as school begins post-COVID isolation.
Pray with your child. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.
As Christians, we are able to turn our worries over to God through prayer. God wants to hear about what is worrying us. As we hand our anxieties over to God, He gives us peace over the situation.
A major cause of anxiety is the unknown. Do your best to eliminate as many unknowns as possible. In these first few weeks of school try to reintroduce routines that are familiar to your child.
Let your child know that you understand how they feel and that you’re there to support them. Provide encouragement for your child through the anxieties of the transition back to school.
Ask for God’s guidance as you help guide your child through the next few weeks and you will help ease their back-to-school anxiety.
Mindless eating refers to unconsciously consuming more food than we need and also consuming more food than we think we have consumed because of marketing, our emotional cues from people and the environment. You may not realise how much you are eating, why you are eating that food or why you even eat at all.
Other than hunger, other factors that contribute to mindless eating include:
Emotional factors
Environmental Factors
Social Factors
Some tips to overcome mindless eating
Throughout Week 7 and 8 we are working on a team challenge – creating a music video! Film yourself singing and dancing to either ‘We’re All In This Together’ or ‘Happy’ (or even both!).
Send your video to sarah.courtney@ncc2.vic.edu.au by Friday, 5 June, 5pm.
Mrs Yuen will edit a final video, including snippets of your videos.
This past week has also seen us explore the culture and identity of our first Australians. Beginning with ‘Sorry Day’ and throughout ‘Reconciliation Week’ we have studied and painted the Aboriginal flag, read stories featuring Indigenous children, made our own boomerangs and painted bark. We also enjoyed a lovely picnic up in the bushed area near the Adventure Playground, where we listened to didgeridoo music, moved like Australian animals to clapping stick rhythms and read a story about a little girl who went camping in a place where an Aboriginal girl lived many years ago.
Learning more about ‘Sorry Day’ has been a great follow on from our prayer focus of ‘repentance’ as children explore what it means to say sorry and ask for help from God to not make those same mistakes again.
What a lot of rain we have had! This hasn’t stopped us from continuing on with our focus on planting as we fill our new garden beds with cuttings that we have been gifted, such as strawberries and succulents. The children have been eagerly placing straw around the new plants and watering them with ‘worm juice’ from our very own worm farm. Over the coming weeks we are looking forward to coming up with some creative ways to make a hanging garden along our fence as we learn more about the great variety of plants God made for us to enjoy.
Everyone in Mrs Williams’ Year 2 class was bubbling with excitement for the return to school for the remainder of Term 2.
Their first day of school was filled with laughter, singing Praise and Worship songs at the top of their lungs and of course learning! In the afternoon, the sun was shining so beautifully that Year 2 decided to go outside and play with the bubbles that they had been given. Mrs James also came out and played with them which was another highlight. All of Year 2 had so much fun and are looking forward to the remainder of the school term.
As part of remote learning, Year 5/6 have been completing weekly creative challenges. Recently, students were challenged to create a marble run out of recycled materials and things they found at home. This involved sourcing appropriate materials, constructing the course and testing that it would work. Students then filmed their creations and shared them with the class via the online platform, Flipgrid.
We invite all Primary School families to join us, via Zoom, to learn more about our Secondary School.
Discover the opportunities available for your child at NCC Secondary.
Learn more about how our we balance academic success with values and character for lifelong success.
Meet with school leaders and Year 7 teachers to have your questions answered.
To register, email admin@ncc2.vic.edu.au
In Week 6 our Principal’s Prize challenge was to create Nature Art. It was great to see our students use their natural environment so creatively. Congratulations to our winners.
Navya
Aaron
James
Luke
Leisha
Vincent
Our Year 12 Biology class adapted their academic program during the COVID-19 shutdown by swapping a cancelled excursion on immunity for an opportunity to have Zoom visits by external guests. Our first visitor was Naomi, who has an autoimmune disease. She shared with students about the symptoms that she has and how these impact on her life. Our next visitor was a PhD student from Melbourne University who did a short careers talk as well as revealed her research into how the cell-mediated immune response acted against some chemicals in sunscreens to cause allergic responses. Our next online excursion is on Thursday where we will “visit” GTAC to discover more about vaccinations and herd immunity.
Below is some of the learning that our Year 12 students shared after Catriona’s careers and research presentation:
We should grab every opportunity we have, don’t hesitate doing volunteer work. – Sunny
Conventional T cells are MHC-restricted. Lipids are picked up in CD1a and presented to CAT cells. – Hruai
I thought it was interesting that she was able to be involved in so many different things in her career. – Ariana
I learnt that there are lipid antigens. – Josh
I found that by singing you can be creative with your memory. – Mudah
Students in Year 9/10 Literature are studying The Old Man and the Sea. They have been analysing how the “sea” in this text can be read as a symbol for the various possibilities and challenges that lie hidden from eyesight. They have also been analysing how the marlin within the text can be seen as one of life’s greatest treasures to be found and fought for – something to strive for such as family, education, values and so forth. Within this context, students were asked to consider a ‘hidden treasure’ – something we may often overlook, but one that is in fact incredibly valuable and important to our lives and is worthy of reflection. They were asked to write in first person point of view, from the perspective of the ‘hidden treasure’. Some students chose to write this in riddle form. See if you can guess the answer to Angie’s “Hidden Treasure Riddle” below:
I’m a hidden gem, and I know that most of the time, I’m the only one keeping those humans going. I think they know, but I doubt they really acknowledge my potential power. I’ve been here since the beginning of time, always supporting those who need me, but it was only recently that I was given a name. I have a mission from God, and with it, a great responsibility: protect everyone from my greatest adversary: Doubt. Songs have been sung about my feats and legends have been told of my impacts, but I often yield no recognition for this. My name is repeated countlessly in a book, the book of life, one that is desired by all. However, if you want me to help you, you must first come to me, but it’s not easy to find me. But when you do, the results will be wonderful. Who or what am I? – Angie, Year 9
(Answer will be shared in the next newsletter)
This week our Class of 2020 were presented with their Year 12 Ties. It is a tradition at our school that the graduating class receive a special tie to wear throughout their final year of school. These ties symbolise their leadership and mentor role in the school. After so many changes throughout this term, this was a special moment to celebrate even though it could not take place during a whole school assembly.
In Week 6 our Principal’s Prize challenge was to create Nature Art. It was great to see our students use their natural environment so creatively. Congratulations to our winners.
Georgia
Jessie
Ashley
Laura
John Paul
Taylor
NCC has a number of private music teachers who provide instrumental music lessons during school terms to many of our students.
If you’d like to find out more information about what’s on offer for next year from any of the teachers, please contact them directly via the details below.
Mr Richard Hunt
Instruments: Guitar, Modern Piano/Keyboard, Drums, Bass Guitar
Lessons: Fridays. 20 mins; 30 mins; or 30 mins shared lessons.
Contact: 0412 821 684 – huntdeb@gmail.com
Mr Hunt has had over 25 years of teaching experience at a number of Melbourne schools. He has played at functions, restaurants & churches, & has conducted bands, tutorials and Musician Masterclass Workshops. He specialises in guitar at VCE level and above, but teaches students of all age groups.
Nichaud Munday
Instrument: Flute
Lessons: Tuesdays. 30 mins.
Contact: 0450 803 693 – nichaud.munday@hotmail.com
Nichaud studied flute performance at the ANU & has studied in the Netherlands. She is undertaking a Masters of Teaching specialising in Music. She has many years of experience teaching flute students from beginners to advanced, & of all ages. She performs in orchestras around Melbourne & has a passion for music education.
Matthew Todd
Instruments: Brass – Trumpet, Trombone, Tenor Horn, Tuba, Euphonium.
Lessons: Wednesdays & Thursdays
Contact: 0432 217 719 – matthew@adventbrass.com.au
Matthew offers free brass lessons to students who participate in the Junior Advent Brass Band. Instrument hire costs apply for those who don’t have their own instrument. Lesson fees for non-band members apply.
FLYERS WITH MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH TEACHER AVAILABLE AT THE SCHOOL OFFICE.
We have second hand MacBook Air laptops for sale. Contact the school office for purchase and collection details – admin@ncc2.vic.edu.au or 9877 3555
MacBook Air 11 inch (Early 2015)
There are a lot of questions being asked right now about where this world is headed. Discover solid answers that you can rely on about where we are today in earth’s history. Join with people around the globe in this interactive series as we make sense of the moment and find answers that will give you the hope you are looking for and a hope that will last beyond our tomorrow. View past programs and register for upcoming programs here.
