This time 3 years ago, I was busy preparing for the wedding of my beautiful daughter Kiah. Since then there have been several other significant milestones for my family; finishing school, graduating from university, starting first jobs and buying first cars. Whilst the adult years and the change in relationship that it brings is sometimes painful to experience as a parent it is so awesome to see your children becoming people in their own right.
Recently, I was challenged with the question "what is the Norwest Christian College plus?" This question was asking me to think about what is it that we deliver for young people beyond that which is mandated by legislation pertaining to schooling. Rest assured I am clear on that answer. At Norwest, we are growing young people who are prepared for all of life. We are growing young people to be more than just receivers of content knowledge, rather our "plus" is to assist them in how to wisely apply that content knowledge for the benefit of the communities in which they reside. Our "plus" is to confidently share with them that God has a purpose and plan for their life and they can move into the future beyond the College with hope.
Each of my children has attended the College, Prep to Year 12, and I am now seeing this "plus" become a lived reality. I am not suggesting that life beyond the College hasn't had its challenges but they have been well prepared for those challenges. As the year begins to come to a close, let us remain focused on this wonderful "plus" of preparing young people for life in all of its fullness; the kind of life that is marked by wisdom, service, faith, and virtue
Felicity Marlow Principal
Psalm 145: Five G's to Describe God
There are 150 Psalms in the Bible. Most people read them instead of studying them. To fully understand a particular psalm, one must know who wrote it, the setting and what was going on at the time of the writing.
Psalm 145 is attributed, in its superscription, to David, the iconic king of ancient Israel. Within its twenty-one-verse acrostic structure, David leads the Israelites and all of creation in words of praise and thanksgiving to God as king.
Psalm 145 through Psalm 150 are known as the Praise Psalms because all five begin and end with the words, "Praise the LORD!" This particular psalm is the last of the 73 psalms that David wrote.
Psalm 145 is a psalm in which David explicitly gives five distinct characteristics of God, and they all begin with the letter "G."
God's greatness
God's goodness
God's glory
God's guarantee
God's grace
All of these G's should give us peace daily and eternal hope.
God's Greatness
"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom." (Psalm 145:1-6)
In the very first six verses, David emphasizes God's greatness. First, he says it is worthy of his praise. Then he says God's greatness is more than anyone can fathom. God's greatness is so great that if all the world's smart minds were combined, they could never understand God's greatness. It is more than anyone can imagine.
Even though Verse 3 is not at the end of the psalm, it has the theme for the entire psalm and summarises what it is all about.
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable."
God's Goodness
"The Lord is good to all, he has compassion on all he has made." (Psalm 145:7-10) God is good, not just sometimes but all the time. God is not just good to some people, but God is good to all.
Jesus wouldn't allow anyone to call Him good. He said only His Father is good. "Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Mark 10:18)
That means we should limit the use of the word "good" and stop calling describing everything as "good".
God's Glory
"They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might so that all men might know your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom." (Psalm 145:11-13)
According to the verse above, David describes God's divine kingdom as glorious and His acts as acts. Therefore, those attuned to God know about His glory and mighty acts.
God's Guarantee
"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations." (Psalms 145:13)
God's promises come with a guarantee. They will be fulfilled. We can count on that.
God's Grace
"The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." (Psalm 145:14-21)
God's grace is promised to all, especially to those who have fallen and need to be lifted up. His grace is sufficient no matter what is going on in a person's life. Not only does God lift those who have fallen, but He also does other things for them. He feeds those who are hungry. He comforts those who are weary. He gives help to the helpless as well as giving hope to the hopeless.
David was thankful for God's blessings so much that he didn't hold anything back when praising Him. Instead, he wanted to worship the Lord with his movements and let the Spirit lead him. He didn't care what his people would think; he knew God's opinion was the only one that mattered.
Now that you know about the five G's in Psalm 145, read it in its entirety and see if you can find them. I've shared a link to one of my favourite worship playlists at the end. I pray it encourages you, and fills your heart with joy and hope.
Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty—
Tuesday, 6 December 2022 Gates: 6:00pm - Carols: 6:30pm
Bring a family picnic as we all come together to sing Carols and remember the birth of Jesus. Food, glowsticks, drinks and lollies will be available for purchase.
P&F Meeting - Wednesday, 16 November
Wednesday, 16 November at 7:30pm
The next P&F meeting will be held on Wednesday, 16 November at 7:30pm in the Atrium. Regular P&F items (events and reports) will be discussed. Additionally, Mr Mark Elkington, Business Manager, will be the College representative. He will be talking about his Northern Territory experience and the College’s Building Plans.
We look forward to seeing you there.
P&F Executive
Celebrate 2022
Celebrate 2022 will be a series of presentation events which showcase student music and artwork, celebrate student endeavours and learning, and an opportunity to give thanks to God for what He is doing in the lives of young people at Norwest. The series of events will be as follows:
Click here to read a letter from Mrs Marlow with more information.
LRC Book Returns and Update
The LRC is closed for borrowing from Friday, 11 November. All books need to be returned by Friday, 18 November.
We have added an exciting new addition to our library - an ebook and audio book collection by eplatform for Years 3-12. This service allows students to borrow digital texts to read or listen to at their leisure. Students can access this through the library canvas page and are encouraged to download the eplatform app to a device to more easily access books offline. Mrs Edey, our Teacher Librarian, has created an instructional video for students and parents, click here to view.
Child Protection Policy
The College Child Protection Policy is available on our website.
Please click here to read the Child Protection Policy.
Seed Academy Thrive Showcase – Saturday, 19 November 2022
After two years of restrictions, we warmly welcome our Seed Academy parents and friends to come together and celebrate the creative gains made over the year.
We will have 3 sessions across the day:
Session 1 – Music and Art
Arrival
9:15am
Performance
Commence at 9:45am
Approximate conclusion by 11:45am
Session 2 – Music and Art
Arrival
12:15pm
Performance
Commence at 12:45pm
Approximate conclusion by 2:45pm
Session 3 – Dance and Art
Arrival
2:30pm – Park in the McCulloch St, ELC carpark and head to the Performance Space
Performance
Commence at 3:30pm
Approximate conclusion by 4:30pm
Dress code: Dress to impress!
Parents and students must RSVP through the link or QR code provided in the emailed invitation.
Music students will be involved in a Thrive rehearsal on Thursday, 17 November or Friday, 18 November to familiarise them with the stage. Adjusting many instruments can be tricky and time consuming so we hope that our preparation will help each showcase to flow smoothly. Students are asked to bring their instrument and music to school on those days.
Dance students will be involved in a rehearsal Friday, 18 November from 3:00pm-6:00pm where each student will need one parent/guardian to be present.
If you have any queries about the plans for our Thrive Showcase or if your child is unable to participate at their scheduled time, please email [email protected].
We are very excited to present our showcase to you and look forward to seeing you there.
2023 Kindergarten Orientation
2023 Kindergarten Orientation, Wednesday, 16 November at 9:30am
We are looking forward to hosting the Kindergarten Orientation on Wednesday, 16 November from 9:30am and concluding at 11:00am. Children will come and experience a little of what life is like at ‘big school’. On this morning, our 2023 Kindergarten cohort will be involved in stories, songs, games and activities in a classroom with one of the current Kindergarten teachers. During this time, parents will enjoy a morning tea and receive important information regarding the beginning of their child’s school journey. To assist with planning for the morning, we request parents RSVP by clicking here.
2023 School Travel Applications are now open
Applications for student travel in 2023 are now open. Students who need a new Opal card or travel pass for 2023 can apply now. A new application will need to be submitted if you are applying at a new school, or requesting any changes to your details. You will have received notification from Transport NSW if your current entitlement has changed or expired.
Most students continuing on in the College will not require a new Opal card and can continue to use their current card for travel in 2023.
Students are reminded to always tap on and off using their School Opal cards.
2024 Scholarships
Applications are now open for our 2024 Scholarships and will close on Monday, 6 February 2023.
The College will consider applicants for scholarships in the categories of Music, Academic and our Principal's Scholarship for 2024 Year 7 and 2024 Year 11. Click here for more information.
To apply for a 2024 Scholarship or to purchase practice materials please visit the ACER website.
If you have any further questions, please contact our Student Enrolment Manager, Michelle de Rooy, on 02 8889 4600 or [email protected]
Primary Communication Notes
Click here to read the Primary Communication Notes.