Illawarra Christian School News

In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul writes, “For Christ’s love compels us…”. These words remind us that the Christian faith is never simply about knowledge or belief alone. The love we have received through Jesus changes us. It moves us beyond ourselves and shapes the way we live, serve, speak, and relate to others each day.

Throughout this term, we have been reflecting on the reality that biblical love is not passive. It is active, visible, sacrificial, and courageous. The love of Christ is not merely something we talk about, it is something we are called to demonstrate in the everyday moments of life.

Earlier this term, we reflected on the life of Amy Carmichael, whose life beautifully illustrated this idea of “love in action.” Compelled by Christ’s love, she left the comfort and familiarity of home to serve vulnerable children in India, many of whom had no voice and no protection. Her work was costly, difficult, and often dangerous, yet she persevered because she believed that the love of Jesus demanded action.

While most of us will not be called to the exact work Amy Carmichael undertook, her example reminds us that Christian love begins in ordinary faithfulness. For our students, “love in action” can be seen in the daily rhythms of school life; choosing kindness when it is easier to ignore, standing alongside someone who feels excluded, showing patience and grace in relationships, speaking truthfully, helping quietly without recognition, or acting with integrity when no one is watching.

These moments may appear small, but they are significant. Schools are communities built on relationships, and every act of compassion, courage, forgiveness, and service contributes to the kind of culture we seek to nurture at Illawarra Christian School. Our desire is that students would not only grow academically, but also grow in Christlike character as they learn to love others well.

This week also marks National Reconciliation Week, which provides an important opportunity for reflection as a community. Reconciliation sits at the very heart of the Gospel. Through Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to God, not because of our own goodness or effort, but because of God’s grace and mercy shown to us at the cross.

As those who have experienced reconciliation with God, we are also called to seek reconciliation with others. This includes learning to listen well, extending forgiveness, pursuing peace in relationships, and treating others with dignity and respect. Reconciliation is not always easy, but it reflects the heart of the Gospel and the transforming love of Christ at work within us.

In a world that can often be marked by division, conflict, and self-interest, Christian schools have a unique opportunity to point students toward a better way. A way shaped by the love, humility, and truth of Jesus. It is our prayer that our assemblies this term continue to encourage students to think deeply about how their faith is lived out practically in the classroom, on the playground, in the home, and within the wider community.

My prayer for our school community is that Illawarra Christian School would continue to be a place where the love of Jesus is not only spoken about, but clearly seen in action, through compassion, reconciliation, service, and the way we care for one another each day.

Mr Simon Lainson
Principal

So imagine what $12,000 could do.

Well… our ICS community no longer has to imagine it.

We are thrilled to share that Illawarra Christian School has now raised over $12,000 through our 2026 Kilimanjaro Challenge, officially reaching our original fundraising goal with six weeks left of term! This is an incredible achievement and a testament to the generosity, courage, and determination of our students, staff, and families.

But we’re not done yet.

With plenty of time still remaining in the term, we are now setting our sights on an exciting new possibility: $20,000. Given the momentum, enthusiasm, and generosity we have already seen across our community, we believe this is absolutely within reach.

Following the success of last year’s fundraiser, students, staff, and families across ICS have again partnered with Forever Projects under the theme “What’s in Your Hands?”. Throughout Term 2, students from Prep to Year 12 are setting personal stretch goals; their own “Kilimanjaro” and using them to raise funds that will directly support women and families in Tanzania to break the cycle of poverty and build self-sustaining futures.

What has been most inspiring is the creativity, courage, and perseverance already being shown across our school community. We already have over 35 different students and staff signed up, each with their own creative and difficult challenge.

We’ve got a team of Year 11 girls walking an incredible 47km from Gerringong to the Wollongong Lighthouse in a single day! Year 8 student Beth is organising and completing the “KilimanTri” community triathlon. A 2km swim, 62km bike ride, and 6km run while Year 12 student Jemima is organising a community fun run and tackling a half marathon herself.

Our younger students are getting involved too. Sisters Isabella and Emily are roller skating 10km throughout the term, while students across the primary years are cycling, reading books, doing push-ups, swimming, running, and walking huge distances to support the cause.

Some challenges are massive feats of endurance:

Staff have jumped in as well, modelling the spirit of the challenge alongside students. Mr Luke Meers is cycling 220km in one day, Mrs Shelley Whitelock is walking 220km across the term, and Mr Peter Richardson will attempt to walk 100km from the Sydney Opera House back home later this term.

What makes this initiative so special is that every challenge is different, but every participant is using what is in their hands; their gifts, passions, determination, and effort to make a difference for others.

Even more encouraging has been the generosity of the wider ICS community. Families, friends, staff, and students have already rallied behind participants through sponsorship and encouragement, helping build real momentum toward our fundraising goal.

And there is still plenty of time to get involved.

Students and families can still sign up for a challenge before the end of term, whether it’s running, reading, learning a skill, giving something up, or creating something meaningful. And for those not taking on a challenge themselves, sponsoring a participant is a powerful way to support the cause.

We’ve reached $12,000. Now let’s see what’s possible together as we push toward $20,000!

To support a participant or sign up for the challenge, visit the ICS Kilimanjaro Challenge Fundraising Page.

Together, our community is proving that when we place what’s in our hands into God’s service, it can make a life-changing impact far beyond our own school gates.

🥇 – First Place

Congratulations to our Senior Football Team, who emerged as the winners of their group! They have qualified for the State competition in August.

Sixth Place

Fourth Place

Fifth Place

Our school vision to nurture students who are curious, courageous, and compassionate is not something we can achieve alone. Research consistently affirms what most of us instinctively know: the single greatest influence on a young person’s development is their home. What happens at the dinner table, in the car, and in the quiet moments of everyday life shapes your children in ways that no school program ever could. We are grateful to come alongside you in that work, but we know our role is secondary to yours.

This term offers a number of touchpoints where I’d love to invite you to be involved in various ways. Each of the moments below is an opportunity, not just for your child, but for us to connect, walk together, and strengthen the thread that runs between home and school.

This week we hosted our Engage Evening for Year 11 and Year 12 families, and I want to sincerely thank every parent who attended. It was encouraging to see the buzz of conversation throughout the evening and the many purposeful and constructive conversations taking place. If you were unable to attend or arrange an interview with a particular teacher, please reach out to them with a SEQTA message requesting that they get in touch.

Next Tuesday 26 May, we welcome our Year 9 2027 and Year 11 2027 students and families onsite for our Subject Selection Evening. This is a valuable opportunity to partner with our parents in this exciting stage of life.

Subject selection is about far more than ticking boxes on a form. It’s an opportunity to sit with your child and have meaningful conversations about their interests, their strengths, and hopes for the future. We’d encourage you to come along together and engage with our staff, who are ready to help you navigate these decisions wisely. We look forward to seeing you there.

In our assemblies this term, our Year 12 leaders have been opening God’s Word from 1 John, and the theme running through each talk has been what it means to be compelled by love. As 1 John 4:19 puts it: “We love because he first loved us.”

I share this because I think it speaks directly to the heart of what we’re both, school and family are trying to do. When our young people truly grasp that they are loved unconditionally by their Creator, it changes everything about the way they engage with the world around them. The conversations happening in our assemblies are ones worth continuing at home. Ask your child what they’ve been hearing. It might open a richer conversation than you expect.

A number of our students are heading out on their Duke of Edinburgh hikes across this term, and it is always one of the highlights of the secondary calendar. There is something uniquely formative about stepping away from the familiar rhythms of school and testing yourself in the outdoors. Resilience is built, friendships are deepened, and confidence grows in ways that simply can't be replicated in a classroom.

A sincere thank you to the staff who give their time to make these experiences possible. Your investment in our students beyond the classroom does not go unnoticed. To the students heading out: embrace every moment of it.

Our Keira House fundraiser for Forever Projects is well underway, and the generosity and creativity of our students has been wonderful to witness. Be sure to read the separate feature article for the full story. If there’s an opportunity to sponsor your child’s challenge or join in yourself, I’d warmly encourage you to do so – it’s a beautiful way to model compassion alongside your children.

To finish the term, we warmly invite all parents to join us for our whole-school Celebration of Learning Assembly on Friday 3 July. This is a wonderful opportunity to pause at the end of a big term and celebrate the learning, growth, and achievements of our students. We hope to see as many of you there as possible. It is always a special morning.

Thank you, as always, for the trust you place in us. Raising young people who are curious, courageous, and compassionate is a shared endeavour and I am genuinely grateful to be walking it with you.

If you ever want to chat, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My door is always open.

Kind regards,
Mr Peter Richardson
Director of Secondary

The symposium featured a series of insightful lectures intertwined with dynamic performances of key scenes from The Crucible, brought to life by Ryan’s talented cast of professional actors from Sport for Jove.

This unique blend of academic discussion and theatrical interpretation offered students a deeper appreciation of Arthur Miller’s original play and its relevance to universal human experiences. The event provided an exceptional opportunity to engage directly with the themes, characters, and language of The Crucible, as well as to consider the enduring relevance of the play’s key ideas.

Thanks to Mrs Tahlia Walsh, Mrs Sarah Howarth, Mrs Lee Loo and Mrs Kate Wilkinson for attending, and to Mrs Jenny Ellis for organising this helpful excursion.

Our Year 7 da Vinci Decathlon team, who were crowned Regional Champions, went on to compete at the State event with outstanding success. The team achieved first place in Ideation, second in Cartography, and third in Engineering, demonstrating exceptional creativity, collaboration and problem-solving.

Competing against around 80 of the state’s highest-performing teams, they finished an impressive fifth overall . We congratulate the team on this significant achievement and the way they represented our school!

On Thursday 14 of May, two teams from Years 5 and 6 went to compete at the NSW State Da Vinci Decathlon at Knox Grammar School, Sydney. It was a day of excitement, fun, and a very early morning. By roughly 5:15am, all members of both teams arrived at school and hopped on the bus, not as ready as they thought for a two-and-a-half hour trip into Sydney. The theme was Machines and Mechanics.

When we arrived at our destination, we were laughing and pointing out how crazy it was that the school resembled Hogwarts so much. After the opening ceremony, which consisted of bagpipes, a couple of speeches, and a few instructions, we began the fist session. The papers that we completed were English, Ideation (solving big problems) Science, and Maths. When Session 1 finished, we had our morning break.

Session 2 consisted of Art and Poetry, Engineering, Code Breaking and Cartography (mapping). Art and Poetry and Engineering were both extremely challenging as it involved 3D construction, although the teams thoroughly enjoyed those challenges.  Both teams worked well and collaborated together. Afterwards we filed out of the hall and had our lunch break, spending time together and most importantly playing handball. We returned to the hall for the final session. Session 3 was for Legacy (history) and was only 20 minutes long. As you can imagine, time passed quickly, soon the award ceremony was over and done with, and we were back on the bus home.

Even though we didn’t win, it was still an amazing opportunity to make friends, see new places, and develop new skills. It was so amazing to be able to go and compete with so many schools. We’d like to thank our teachers, without you we never would have made it there. Thank you for getting up before 5:00am, encouraging us, and not giving up on us!

Thanks to our panel of alumni – Isaac Abraham (Class of 2022), Amelia Lainson (Class of 2023), Beck Hatton (Class of 2000), Paul Vaartjes (Class of 2009), as well as Mr Joshua Engel (Class of 2007)!

While most school fees are managed through Edstart, Emelyn will be the friendly voice many parents connect with if they have questions about fees or need assistance with one-off invoices. Her approachable manner and growing familiarity with our systems make her a helpful point of contact for any queries.

Of her new role, she said:

"I am excited to ensure that families have a good experience with fees, especially for those who find it hard to understand or are in a tough situation.

"I also look forward to keeping our systems efficient and user-friendly to help save everyone time in our busy lives; for families, staff and suppliers."

Emelyn has worked at ICS since late 2022, starting in administration, and has occupied a part-time role in the Business Centre for the past two years. She can be contacted in the Business Centre via (02) 4230 3777 from Monday-Friday.

Please join us in congratulating Emelyn on her new role – we’re grateful for the care and professionalism she brings in supporting our school community.

Download the Return and Earn app and search for "ICS Return and Earn Fundraiser" under the "Charities" section on the home page.

Select "Set as Payout" to set us up as your preferred payment method.

You can change your payout method at any time.

Scan your barcode at the machine, return your containers and select "Transfer" on the screen when finished.

Thanks for your donation!

For every bag purchased, $7 will be contributed directly to the ICS Committee and allocated towards projects that benefit our school community.

We warmly invite you to support this initiative by purchasing a $35 bag of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables via the link below.

Ordering is open from Monday, 18 May through to Friday, 5 June and orders will be delivered to school and distributed during Week 8 of Term 2 .

Click here to place your order online!

The ICS Committee thanks you for your support!