That's because life is relationship from beginning to end. We like to think of ourselves as self-made individuals, working out who we are on our own. But that's not really true for any of us. Our sense of humour, the way we handle conflict, what we find funny or safe or scary. All of it comes from somewhere. It's shaped by the people around us. Before a student learns to read fluently or add fractions, we want them to know they are known; by their teacher, by the students around them, and by God. That takes time and repetition, not a single assembly or a poster in the classroom. As we begin the second semester, here are a few things that are happening regularly across the week to intentionally provide these opportunities.

Each Primary class starts the day with around 20 minutes together before anything else. The teacher reads a story from the Bible, the class prays, and (just as importantly) everyone gets a chance to properly land in the room. The teacher will notice the student who came in a bit flat. A student will tell the class about something that happened over the weekend.
Think of it like an orchestra tuning up before a concert. Every instrument tunes to the one true note, and once everyone's in tune with that, they can play in tune with each other. Our mornings work a bit like that. The class tunes in to each other, and together they tune in to Jesus, the One True Note everything else is set against. Get that right at the start of the day, and everything that follows—the maths, the reading, the arguments on the playground—is all played in a better key.
Over a year, that adds up. Students who feel noticed every morning, whose teacher genuinely knows what's going on for them, are students who feel like they belong somewhere.

Every Tuesday at lunch, students gather for BLT; a Bible study run by our Year 6 and secondary student leaders. They teach a Bible story, run games, sing, and pray with the younger students. Watching a Year 6 leader patiently explain a story to a Kindergarten student, or teach them a game they used to play themselves, is one of our favourite things to see at ICS.

At the end of last term we started a K-2 BLT alongside the existing K-6 one, so now every year level has a Tuesday lunchtime where they can connect with students outside their own class. It's not flashy, it's just a regular weekly rhythm where older and younger students get to know each other around a shared story.

Our Buddies program pairs students across K-6 for the year. Once a fortnight, on Friday mornings, buddies sit down together to share what they've been learning and talk about how things are going for them personally.

For a younger student, having an older buddy who remembers their name and checks in on them is often their first friendship outside their own classroom. For the older student, it's a chance to practise patience and care for someone who looks up to them, usually in ways they don't fully realise until years later.

On the fortnights when Buddies isn't on, we come together for Primary Assembly instead. A class or grade takes the lead, sharing something they've been learning, one of our teachers teaches from the Bible, and we sing together as a whole Primary school.

It's another regular rhythm that reminds students what community is actually for. We're not just a few hundred students who happen to share a school, we're a community that belongs to each other, gathered around the same story, learning what it looks like to live that out together.

None of these things (pastoral care, BLT, Buddies, or Primary Assembly) are complicated. They're just regular habits that give students more chances to be known: by their teacher, by their peers, and by students older and younger than them across the school.

They're also each, in their own small way, an attempt to remind students of God's purpose for his people: to live and learn in community together. Not as individuals who happen to sit in the same classroom, but as a Kingdom community—people who belong to each other, made in God's image, and invited into a story bigger than any one of them.

Each morning at the start of the day, our Pastoral Care groups meet to open God's Word and pray together. It's a simple rhythm, but an important one: a reminder that whatever the day holds, we begin by fixing our eyes on Jesus and bringing our concerns and hopes to him.

One of our deepest convictions at ICS is that every student should be genuinely known, not just "known of". Our Pastoral Care structure exists for this reason, giving each student a teacher who sees them regularly and notices when something is off. Behind the scenes, our pastoral care and year group teams meet often to talk through how individual students are going, so care isn't left to chance.

Some of the most significant care happens outside any scheduled meeting: a corridor conversation, a teacher staying back to check in with a student who seems distracted, a quiet word of encouragement before an exam. These moments rarely make it into a newsletter, but they are often the clearest evidence of a Christian community in action.

This term, our Secondary assemblies begin a new series through Luke's Gospel called Encounters with Jesus , meeting people transformed by an encounter with him: Matthew the tax collector, a woman weighed down by shame, Martha and Mary, Zacchaeus, Peter, and two grieving disciples on the road to Emmaus.

We begin in Week 2 with Matthew (also called Levi), in Luke 5:27–32. Despised by his community, he's sought out by Jesus, called by name, and welcomed to his table: a fitting start, since so much of what we hope for our students mirrors this, that they would know they are seen and known, not because of what they've achieved, but because of who Jesus is.

Faith at ICS isn't confined to an assembly or Biblical Studies lesson, though these matter greatly. It's in the way we start our mornings, notice our students, and choose, day after day, to care. I'm thankful for a staff team who take this seriously, and I look forward to another term of seeing it lived out.

Our purpose, then, is bigger than simply transfer of information; it is the formation of faithful image-bearers who know God, understand his world and participate in his purposes. We strive to help students encounter every subject, story, and relationship through Christ—convinced that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10), and that every student is an image-bearer (Gen 1:27), known and loved by God before a single lesson was ever taught. Every subject area reveals something of the wisdom, beauty, order and goodness of its Creator. Our hope is that students go into the world loving what God loves, seeing what he sees, and joining in the renewal of all things under the One who said, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Rev 21:5). Therefore, learning, rightly understood, is an act of worship.

This distinctiveness can be seen in a couple of ways. Firstly, through the character of the teacher. Christian education is shaped as much by who teachers are as by what they teach. And so, at ICS the faith and character of our teachers matter immensely. We are committed to developing teachers who are both deeply formed disciples of Jesus and highly effective educators who put their faith into action as they know each student individually, care for them deeply, teach with excellence, and faithfully point them to Christ in both word and example.

Secondly, through the culture and community we foster—a Christian community that is servant-hearted, gracious, safe, nurturing and marked by love. As Christian teachers at ICS, we also recognise and value the partnership we share with parents in educating their children.

But most importantly, the greatest joy for Christian teachers at ICS is being participants in God's great work. He is the one who leads, shapes, and transforms young people as they walk in his purposes. Philippians 2:13 reminds us that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose", and Ephesians 2:10 that "we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." As participants in that work, we teach prayerfully and confidently, trusting that God is working in and through all things according to his good purposes, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2).

What a profound blessing it is to witness God at work in the lives of young people!

Education, in and of itself, speaker Michael Jensen reminded us, is a salve in our society, not a salvation. A recurring theme throughout the conference was that Christian education is about far more than imparting knowledge or promoting a set of values. At its heart lies a profoundly Christian understanding of people, relationships and community.
It is crucial that we as Christian educators consider a simple but important question: Who is sitting in our classrooms? Every child is made in the image of God, known by him and created with dignity, purpose and potential. This shapes the way we think about teaching. In a Christian school, students are far more than names on a roll or results on a report. They are image-bearers of God, each with a unique story, gifts and purpose. This has a profound and significant impact on how Christian educators relate to students and to each other.
Relationships are not simply part of education—they are foundational to it. We are shaped through relationships, and it is within relationships that we experience belonging, growth and transformation. This resonates deeply with life at Illawarra Christian School, where we seek to ensure that students are known by name, valued as individuals who are created and loved by God and connected to a community that genuinely cares for them.
Research presented during the conference reinforced what many teachers observe daily: students learn best when they feel safe, secure and connected. Before students can fully engage with learning, they need to know that they are cared for. Strong relationships with teachers and peers create the conditions in which curiosity, confidence and flourishing can grow.
For Christian educators, these relationships are not merely a strategy for improving learning outcomes. They are an expression of the Gospel itself. The way we welcome students, listen to them, encourage them and walk alongside them reflects something of God's love and care for his people.
A memorable image shared during the conference was that of Christ as the "tuning fork" for life. Just as musicians tune their instruments to a single note, Christians continually seek to align themselves with the character and purposes of Jesus. For teachers, this is a powerful reminder that education is not only about imparting knowledge but also about modelling a way of life. We hope that through the way we teach, lead and care for students, they encounter something of Christ's love and truth for themselves.
Our morning devotions provided an equally powerful reminder of what sustains this work. Reflecting on God's name, Jehovah Jireh—"The Lord Will Provide"—we were reminded that while educators invest deeply in the lives of young people, we are not the ultimate providers. God has gone before us, and we serve in confidence that his provision extends to both staff and students.
A second reflection focused on Christian joy—not a happiness that depends on circumstances, but a deep and enduring hope rooted in God's faithfulness. In a world that often feels uncertain, Christian schools have the privilege of helping young people see beyond the challenges of today toward the hope found in Christ.
Together, these conference sessions have reminded us that Christian education is ultimately about helping young people become more fully who God created them to be. Faith at ICS is not confined to a mission statement, a devotion, or a Biblical Studies lesson. It is woven into the daily life of our community—in the relationships we build, the care we show, the hope we share and the way we point students to Jesus.
As we return from the conference, we do so encouraged and renewed in our commitment to nurture both hearts and minds, helping every student experience what it means to belong, to flourish and to know the love of God.

Mrs Brown is currently our P–12 Director of Teaching and Learning and a highly valued member of the ICS Executive Team. She brings a rich and diverse background in education, with teaching experience spanning both Primary and Secondary contexts (P–12).

Over the course of her career, she has held a range of leadership responsibilities, including significant oversight of Learning Support and Enrichment, as well as previous leadership roles within the Primary years.

Mrs Brown's long-standing connection with ICS, combined with her deep understanding of teaching, learning, and student wellbeing, positions her exceptionally well for this next stage of leadership. She is known for her commitment to student growth, her collaborative leadership approach, and her desire to see every student flourish within a strong and supportive learning environment.

Of her appointment as Deputy Principal, Mrs Brown said:

"I feel deeply honoured and grateful to accept the role of Deputy Principal at Illawarra Christian School. It has been such a joy and privilege to share God's love with our school community over the past 25 years, and to use the gifts he has entrusted to me.

I look forward to continuing to serve in this new way from 2027, walking alongside our students, families, and staff as we live in the light of what Christ has done for us through his abundant grace."

We give thanks for Mrs Brown's ongoing contribution to our school and look forward with confidence to the wisdom, experience, and faithfulness she will bring to the role of Deputy Principal.

Please join us in congratulating Mrs Brown on this significant appointment.