This week I presented at the College’s Annual General Meeting and a significant amount of my presentation was focused on growth. Growth in enrolment numbers, growth in learning capacities, growth in College facilities, and growth for our students as they grapple in their learning journey and their understanding of the world around them. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the quest that we all have for a purposeful and abundant life. Whilst this looks different for us all, College staff believe that an abundant life includes a personal relationship with Jesus and this past week we have celebrated as a number of students have made this decision for themselves. Being able to witness our young people grow in their understanding of who they are and of who God is, is an incredible privilege.
Felicity Marlow Principal
According to Design
Try and imagine these images: a photograph of a truck driver trying to inflate huge truck tyres with a bike pump, or of a chef attempting to cut carrots with a wood saw. These images remind me how ineffective it is to try to complete a task with a tool that it is not designed for. It’s like trying to eat soup with a fork; it’s not effective and ultimately it becomes a pretty frustrating experience.
If we want to be effective in the things we do, it's important that we use tools that are designed for the task. Similarly, if we want to be effective, satisfied, and purposeful in our lives it's really important that we live our lives according to the way we were designed. And so, at the College we have a dialogue with students, starting with the question "do you know what you were designed for?" Our intention is to grow young people who know what they were designed for and that they are equipped to live their lives in accordance with their design, so they experience meaning and purpose in all that they do.
It's like buying a new appliance. The temptation might be to rush in and just start using it. However, a much better approach is to read the instructions from start to finish, meaning that the appliance will be used according to its design. Our goal as educators is to ensure that young people understand what they were made for and to equip them to live within that design.
If we go back to our original design, that is the creation of Adam and Eve, we get a good glimpse of what we were designed to do. The Bible tells us in Genesis that humans were made in the image of God. The animals weren't given this honour, nor were the plants. It is only humans who have the honour of being made in God's image. When I contemplate the fact that I am made in God's image there are two questions that come to mind; what and why.
Firstly, what does it mean to be made in the image of God? Our first thought might be that this means that we look like God but this is not what is means to be made in the image of God. What is does mean is that we are rational beings like God, we have the capacity to think, create and design like God, and we are eternal beings just like God.
The second question I often ask is why did God choose to make me in His image? I have a dog named Lucy. One of the things she is amazingly good at doing is sniffing out dogs that are within a 500m radius of our house. She will then run from the back of the house to the front door and bark incessantly just to make sure that they feel welcome to her part of the neighbourhood. She does this because she longs to be with other dogs. She wants to be with creatures that are just like her.
I think this goes some of the way to explaining why God made humans in His image. He wanted a part of creation that was for Himself and that He could have a relationship with. It's pretty phenomenal to contemplate that we were designed so that we could have a relationship with God. CS Lewis sums it up well when he wrote "God doesn't want something from us, He simply wants us". For our students who live in a complex and uncertain world knowing that they are made by God because He wants to know and love them is life transforming.
There are lots of elements to our design, but this relational element is the most significant. In making human beings it was God's desire to be able to have a relationship with us. But it is also pretty amazing to contemplate that we were made to be in relationship with others. The Bible tells us God's thoughts after He made Adam; The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” And so God made Eve. Incorporated into God's design of humans is the need to be in relationship with others.
We are designed to love God and love others. We were made for loving God and loving others. You and I were purposed to live in right relationship with God and in right relationship with each other. But just like the truck driver trying to inflate the truck tyre with a bike pump met with an unsatisfactory outcome, when we live outside of our design it also leads to some pretty unsatisfactory outcomes. Therefore, if we are to live a purposeful and meaningful life, one that gives us satisfaction, we must choose to live according to what we were made for, that is loving God and loving others.
Our College verse sums it up perfectly. Jesus was asked what must I do to live a life that pleases God and Jesus replies; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbour as yourself." In keeping with this verse when our students ask "what was I made for?" we will say "you were made for loving God and loving others".
Mrs Felicity Marlow Principal
Calling All Directions Readers
As we continue to refine and evolve our communications methods here at the College, we would love to enlist the help of our avid readers of Directions.
Below is the link to a quick online survey where you can provide us with your valuable feedback on our College newsletter.
Thank you in advance for your support with this request, as we really appreciate you taking the time to complete this online form to help us better meet the communication needs of our College community.
Please be aware that communication has been sent out regarding formal College photos and instructions on how to order.
Primary and Secondary Photos will be taken on Tuesday, 7 and Wednesday, 8 June. Click here to read more information.
ELC Photos will be taken on Wednesday, 15 June. Click here to read more information.
College Campus Tours
Our next Open Day will be held on campus on Thursday, 23 June. The College received an incredible response to bookings from prospective parents, and as such attendee capacity has been reached.
We understand that Open Days are usually a great time for NWCC families in our ELC and Year 6 to see Primary and Secondary spaces (if they haven’t already done so), and as such we would like to offer these families the opportunity to have a group College tour with our Principal, Mrs Marlow over the coming months. Should this be of interest to your family, please contact our Enrolments Team via the College office or email [email protected].
Imago Day - Term 2
Our theme for Imago Day for this year is Being part of Jesus’ Tribe as we again consider what it means to be “made in the image of God”. On Thursday, 9 June the College will be participating in the Word of Life Kick Off program.
We’re all part of at least one “tribe”, in fact it’s likely that children are part of a number of tribes (family, class, College House, sports team, dance group, church, Youth Group, etc) and knowing that you fit in is really important as children develop. We want to highlight that regardless of family situation or interest group we all fit into the big tribe where we are all “made in the image of God” and we will be invited to consider being part of Jesus’ tribe.
Students will be permitted to wear their sports uniform and House shirt for the day. Teachers will give more details as we get closer.
P&F Meeting - Week 8, Term 2, 2022
Wednesday, 15 June at 7:30pm
The next P&F Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 15 June commencing at 7:30pm in the LRC. Regular P&F items (events and reports) will be discussed. Additionally, Mrs Suzi Scott, Director of ELC will be the College representative. She will be talking about the ELC Intergenerational Program and will discuss the ELC’s involvement with the College community. She will also provide an update of the new chicken coop.
We look forward to seeing you there.
P&F Executive
College Communication Notes
Click here to read the Early Learning Centre Communication Notes.
Click here to read the Primary Communication Notes.