It was a fantastic occasion, with students from Kindergarten to Year 6 displaying their creative gifts across musical, drama and dance performances, as well as through the display of various visual artworks.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to make it a memorable evening!

After 13 years of schooling, your time in the classroom here at Illawarra Christian School has come to an end (well, technically last Friday!). It has been such a joy to hear about how you've grown over your years at ICS, and to see it firsthand this year. This past week has been full of celebration, reflection, laughter, and yes, a few tears as we've honoured your journey.

On Wednesday evening, our school community came together for the Year 12 Graduation Service. It was a special opportunity to give thanks to God for each student, celebrate all they have achieved, and pray for them as they enter the final stage of their school life. It was a truly memorable evening, and we are so grateful to the staff, families, and students who made it such a meaningful occasion.

I would also like to thank the many ICS staff who have poured into the lives of our Year 12 students over so many years. Whether in the classroom, on the sporting field, through co-curricular activities, or in countless everyday conversations, your investment has made a lasting difference and is deeply appreciated.

To our Year 12 students: as you turn your attention to the HSC, I encourage you to work hard, stay focused, and give it your very best. Take the time to thank those who have supported you along the way, and keep leaning on the Lord for strength, peace, and perspective in the weeks ahead.

Above all, my prayer is that you would know the love of your Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is in him, and him alone, that we find true meaning and purpose, and the perspective to hold on to what matters most. I'd love to leave you with one of my favourite passages of Scripture, 1 Peter 1:3-5:

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

We thank God for each one of you, Year 12, and we will continue to uphold you in prayer in the weeks to come.

I wish everyone a restful and refreshing holiday break, and we look forward to welcoming you all back for Term 4 on Tuesday 13 October.

Director of Secondary

Curiosity has been part of the human story from the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were curious too. Genesis 3:6 tells us that when the woman saw the fruit was "good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." Eve's curiosity wasn't wrong in itself - but it was misdirected. It was self-seeking, grounded in a desire to "be like God" (Genesis 3:5), rather than a desire to know God and his world more deeply.

That's why at ICS we don't simply teach curiosity for curiosity's sake. We want to ground it in a better story. God created us in his image and calls us to steward his world, using our minds and creativity to explore and understand it. We want our students to pair curiosity with critical thinking and discernment, and - more than that - to be curious in a way that draws them closer to God rather than feeding self-focused pride. Healthy curiosity should lead our students toward God's wisdom, not away from it.

As author Barnabas Piper puts it, "proper curiosity about the world opens our eyes to the wiles of the world and provides the discernment we need to fight against them. Curiosity about God anchors us in God's strength as we learn more, seek more, and see more of him."

This is the question we keep asking ourselves as a staff: what if the curiosity we nurture in our students didn't just make them better learners, but led them to wonder at God and his world?

One of our own teachers, Justin Cole, recently reflected: "...Rather than simply helping students become more curious, I want them to understand why God has made us curious in the first place and how he has designed curiosity to function. Curiosity is not an end in itself, it is a gift that draws us to explore, understand, and delight in the world God has created, ultimately leading us to know him more deeply."

Wow. So good!

You can help foster this same spirit at home. Next time your child asks an interesting question - about the world, about something they've learned, about anything at all - try asking them what it might reveal about God or the way he's made the world. You might be surprised where the conversation goes.

Foster curiosity → Ground it in God's purposes → Turn toward God in worship

Our wellbeing support is strengthened by a multi-disciplinary team, bringing together a range of professional skills and perspectives. The team includes:

Working together with classroom teachers, school leaders, learning support staff and families allows us to consider the whole child. Where appropriate, members of the team collaborate with parents and external professionals so that students experience consistency and continuity of care.

We believe parents are an essential part of supporting a child. When a student is experiencing ongoing challenges, we seek to work in partnership with parents to understand what is happening and consider how we can best support the student together.

Our Wellbeing Space provides another important part of our support for students.

School can sometimes feel overwhelming. A student may be experiencing strong emotions, finding it difficult to regulate, needing a quieter environment or simply needing some time away from the busyness of the playground or classroom.

The Wellbeing Space provides a calm and welcoming environment where students can take a break, particularly during recess and lunch, or access some time out during the school day when they need it.

This is not about removing students from learning or avoiding difficult situations. Rather, it provides an opportunity to pause, regulate and reset, with the support of caring adults.

For some students, accessing the Wellbeing Space may be a regular part of their support. For others, it may simply be somewhere they can go occasionally when they are having a particularly difficult day.

Every student is different, and there is no single approach to wellbeing that works for everyone. That is why we value a team approach, strong relationships with teachers and families, and a range of supports that can be adapted to the needs of individual students.

At Illawarra Christian School, every child matters. We want each student to know that they are known by God, known by us and cared for as they grow.

Our hope is that, through strong relationships, thoughtful support and a Christ-centred community, students are equipped not simply to get through their school years, but to flourish within them.

As a Christian school, we believe that thinking about the future is about more than simply choosing a job. God has made each of us uniquely, giving us different gifts, abilities, interests and strengths. As members of the body of Christ, we each have different opportunities to contribute and serve. We want our students to consider how they can faithfully use what God has given them, serving others and bringing glory to God through their work. This means recognising that every student is different and that there is no single pathway or definition of success.

We provide students with a range of opportunities throughout their secondary schooling to help them explore what life after school might look like. Careers Week exposes students to a wide range of occupations, industries and post-school options, helping them discover possibilities they may not have previously considered. Our Alumni Breakfast gives senior students the opportunity to hear directly from former ICS students about their experiences after school, the pathways they have taken and the lessons they have learned along the way.

During Careers Week, and throughout the year, local industry speakers are invited onsite to present to students about pathways to various careers. Recently, Hayley and Peter from Tread Right Podiatry visited and shared with senior students the diverse career options within Podiatry. These instances are great opportunities for students to ask questions about industries of interest and connect with local employers.

Students are also supported by our dedicated careers staff, Mrs Bourke and Mrs Hancock, who provide individual guidance as students explore their options and make decisions about subjects, courses and post-school opportunities. Their support helps students think carefully about their interests, strengths and aspirations while navigating the many choices available to them.

In Year 12, students also have the opportunity to work with a mentor who can be another trusted person with whom they can talk through their hopes, questions and decisions about life beyond school. These conversations provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their options, seek wisdom and pray about how they might faithfully use the gifts God has given them.

Our Year 10 Work Experience program provides another important opportunity for students to experience the world of work first-hand. Spending time in a workplace helps students develop an understanding of workplace expectations, discover areas of interest and begin to consider how their abilities and interests might be expressed in their future work.

Students also have opportunities to attend university discovery days, careers expos and other post-school pathway events, where they can explore courses, industries and training opportunities and speak directly with people working and studying in different fields.

Success after ICS will look different for every student. For one student, it might be beginning a university degree; for another, an apprenticeship or traineeship; for another, entering the workforce, starting a business or pursuing further vocational training. The important question is not simply "What career will I have?" but "How can I faithfully use the gifts God has given me to serve others and glorify Him?" When starting conversations with students, they are prompted to consider the gifts God has given them and are encouraged to think about what they love and are skilled at in order to help them identify their gifts.

Ultimately, we want our students to leave ICS with more than a career plan. We want them to have a growing understanding of the gifts, abilities and interests God has given them and a desire to use these faithfully. Whatever pathway they pursue, our hope is that they will see their future work as more than personal achievement or financial security, but as an opportunity to serve others, contribute to their communities and glorify God.