Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Change is in the air. The year 2022 is drawing to a close and we are planning and moving quickly towards 2023! Orientation Day has been and gone and we have only… Read More
In my last editorial I shared about vaping, its health risks and harm to young people. In this editorial I am unpacking some of the complexities that make up the teenage brain; giving further context to why certain activities and behaviours (such as vaping, social media use,… Read More
Last Saturday night at the Year 12 Graduation it was my privilege to share some words of encouragement and a final blessing for the graduating students. The Graduation is always a special occasion, as it marks a significant moment in the lives of the students as they come… Read More
How this year has flown by! Only four more weeks left of school, our children are another year older, we are one year on from Lockdowns, and back into our new rhythm of life. How has your family travelled this year? Have you loved jumping back into life and events, or… Read More
I was an enthusiastic fan of my children’s sport! Most Saturday’s you would’ve found me cheering on the Ignite Scorpions or Surrey Park Panthers. I didn’t mind a little inconvenience; a wet, cold day at a suburban footy oval was not enough to turn me off; I’d take my turn to score… Read More
I recently attended a lecture presented by Andy Crouch based on his most recent book The life we are looking for. Reclaiming relationship in a technological world. It was a highly thought-provoking lecture looking at the amazing creational goodness of technology and how… Read More
We have all been somewhat shaken by the recent news that Mountain District Christian School will need to finish up at the end of this year. The sadness that we feel is very deep, especially for those of us that have journeyed over the decades with Mountain District, enjoying wonderful… Read More
Recently I returned from a Principal’s Study Tour to Canada to attend the Canadian Christian Schools Conference as well as visit a number of Christian Schools around the Vancouver region. The trip was facilitated by Christian Education National (CEN), of which we are a member school.… Read More
In the forthcoming Association Extra General Meeting (EGM on 20 October) we will present the draft budget for 2023 and hope to explain some of the complexities of what makes MECS a financially viable and sustainable school. One key issue that all parents are keenly interested in… Read More
As a history buff I have spent the weekend pouring over the newspapers and glued to the television, as we farewell Queen Elizabeth 2, and welcome King Charles 3! What a momentous event in our history as we watch not only the outpouring of grief and gratitude, but also the pomp… Read More
“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” Philippians… Read More
This week we celebrated 'Learning Assistant Appreciation Week’ in the Primary School. We took the time to acknowledge and thank these very important members of the teaching team who contribute to the learning of all our students. These special members of the team bring an expert… Read More
Over recent years, the state of Victoria has seen a rise in the number of young people ‘vaping’. This ever-growing trend is seeing our teenagers gaining access to e-cigarettes, and ‘vaping’ without any knowledge about the legalities or potential harm being caused to themselves… Read More
In our editorial this week, Tim Allchin, our RTO Manager from Ranges TEC talks about the increasing mental health needs of our young people and promotes the Mental First Aid courses we provide through Ranges TEC. I hope you find his article interesting, and if you, or an organisation… Read More
How often do we, as parents/grandparents, do this with young children, as a way of getting them to do what we would like them to, and in a reasonable time! We hear it at the beginning of races, such as we have seen in the Commonwealth Games. And at athletic and swimming sports… Read More
Human beings are story-tellers; we understand and make sense of the world through story and we get a sense of belonging from being part of a story. As Christians, being part of the Christian story shapes who we are and what we believe. It determines our vision, and what is important… Read More
RAMSR is a program for all early year’s teachers and educators to have confidence, skills and resources to use evidence-based rhythm and movement activities for self-regulation support for children. RAMSR stands for Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation, and… Read More
I love the MECS mission statement, especially the phrase that we want to provide learning challenges so that our students actively live for God in His world. Isn't that, as a community, what we want for our young people? That they know who Jesus is, have submitted their lives to… Read More
Ten years ago, I wrote an editorial in MECS Matters called, “Turning problems into people”. I remarked on the buzz seeing Ranges TEC full of people for its official opening in March 2012. Well over 150 people gathered then to acknowledge the contributions of so many who… Read More
Busy is not a badge of honour. In fact, it has become a very real and dangerous cultural phenomenon that is setting up our little people to learn that without a busy life, we have not ‘arrived’. Rather the very opposite is true, busyness often robs us of meaning and fulfilment;… Read More
One of the many strengths I have appreciated about MECS during my first 6 months here, has been the commitment to Christian Education. Christian Education which has at its heart, the pursuit of responsive discipleship for the transformation of the whole person for the development… Read More
We have #OnlyOneEarth. Let's take care of it. Sunday June 5 is World Environment Day. World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principle vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. ‘Only… Read More
Over the last few years, our staff, leadership and Board have been involved in many conversations around the way we welcome and include all our students, particularly those that might be marginalised because of their sexual identity or gender orientation. As we finalise, and begin… Read More
Recently I was at a funeral. Funerals are often one of those bittersweet times, where loss is felt, but also where families and friends come together and celebrate the life of the one they loved. At this particular funeral, I overheard a lovely moment between a mother and her child.… Read More
Nothing is neutral, even technology. It is really easy to think of technology as just a tool that we use and it is our use of it that causes good or bad. However, I would like to suggest to you that technology is laden with values. The person or team that designed the piece of… Read More
What do you want to do when you grow up? It’s the question that adults love to ask children. It invites a response that reveals something about the child, and we often find joy in their hope-filled, optimistic dreams and visions for their lives. We delight… Read More
I love the pageantry and ritual of Anzac Day. As a child, my siblings and I were glued to the television as we watched the Anzac Day March from start to finish. This was probably due to the fact that my father was a musician in one of the military bands and if we watched closely… Read More
I recently travelled to Italy and Scotland. My children travelled independently to New York and Chicago. The younger two also travelled with my husband to a school in England - Hogwarts it was called. Ahh, now you see what I’m doing. Physically, we’ve travelled no further than… Read More
Over the last 16 years or so our Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) has been the instrument we have used to guide the development of buildings and grounds on the MECS and Ranges TEC campuses. It has been the tool we have used to make the case for millions of dollars of capital grants… Read More
During our first leadership meeting for the year, Narelle read this favourite, award winning picture storybook ‘All the Ways to be Smart’ by Davina Bell and Allyson Colpoys. It was a good reminder about how MECS teachers are deliberate in the way they think about students… Read More
From a very early age, our children’s minds become cued into the idea of ‘smart’ and ‘dumb’. They try and find sense and reason in where they ‘fit’ on this spectrum. In a world that sometimes presents a narrow view of what ‘schooling success’ looks like and subsequently what it… Read More
The light turned yellow as he approached the traffic lights. He did the right thing and stopped at the light, even though he might have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman behind him was furious and honked her… Read More
As Term 1 progresses our focus moves to building upon the foundations laid in the first weeks of the new school year. Students are learning to discern God’s wisdom in developing skills of perseverance and resilience as learners and of teamwork and natural leadership as… Read More
I sometimes feel a bit sorry for the foolish man who built his house on the sand! I get it… he was under pressure to meet a deadline, the budget was limited... he thought this would be the quickest and easiest way to get things done. I’m sure he didn’t set out to do a ‘shoddy… Read More
Teaching is an incredibly complex profession; it is said that teachers make more decisions in a day than a surgeon. Great teachers understand that teaching is a Science and is also an Art. There are things that we do that work regularly and reliably e.g. making sure your class… Read More
Change is always happening... and I love it! It makes me worried when things stay the same for too long. Whether it’s re-arranging the lounge room furniture, taking up a new hobby or even getting a new haircut; I like it when things change... just a bit. It’s the same with… Read More
Well, another year has come and gone; not the one we were expecting of course, but a good one nevertheless! How can it be a good one, you might ask? Particularly in a week when we have seen our first little COVID-19 outbreak amongst our primary students, Year 6 Graduation… Read More
What an honour to lead and love MECS for so long. As I come to the end of my MECS time I wanted to reflect on some of the journey and share some of my highlights. My introduction to MECS came via my children. I remember thinking I want to be part of the sort of education… Read More
On Saturday evening we were able to celebrate the graduation of our Year 12 students; both VCAL and VCE alike. After two years of unprecedented interruptions to their studies, this wonderful group of young people have risen above to successfully complete their studies. In… Read More
This week I read an editorial in a school newsletter from a school in Wagga Wagga, Namoi Valley Christian School. It summed up perfectly what I have been thinking about a lot lately. Thanks to the Principal Peter Henderson, for letting me share some of his words and use his article… Read More
I’m sure many of you have been in situations where you weren’t sure how things were going to end, or been on a journey that you weren’t sure how long it was going to take? It can either be exhilarating or scary? It can bring out the best in you, or make you want to hide?… Read More
For our staff devotion sessions this year we have been working through the first 5 books on the Bible using the TG21 Method which is looking at the Text, then how the text links to the Gospel and then how does this then relate to the 21st century in which we live. It has been a… Read More
It is very exciting at present as we see the gradual return of students to onsite learning. As parents, students and school staff we have been looking forward to this for a long time! Friends can see each other again face to face, teaching and learning can be more ‘hands on’, diverse… Read More
I’m sure you will be happy to read something that is not COVID related, but it is probably also true, that during this uncertain season, you have questioned or are weighing up the benefits of a Christian school education. I thought it was timely, therefore, to communicate… Read More
It’s that time of year when we turn our attention to next year’s school fees at MECS. I am happy to report that in its meeting this week the Board has approved an increase in fees of just 1.5% over our 2020/2021 fees. This compares with an increase of 0% for 2021 (a decision made… Read More
Last week we sent out through our Parent Portal, a community letter on the issue of vaccination. We hope you have been able to read the whole letter to give you a full perspective on how the Executive Leadership Team at MECS and Ranges TEC is thinking about this issue. Below… Read More
During challenging times I often find that God encourages me spiritually through analogies drawn from nature. Over the last couple of weeks during our devotion time, I have been sharing with our Year 10 students some thoughts around Galations 5:22: “But the fruit of the… Read More
Gäwa; the definition of community. A place where community, life challenges and love are witnessed in their most raw form. On the 1st of August I commenced my teacher volunteer trip to Gäwa Christian School. Little did I know that I would return… Read More
When I was a young child and I fell over, skinned the knee or was just feeling the need to be ‘noticed’, I would cry. Read: wail. Louder than I needed to. My mum eventually taught me to ‘cry with my mouth closed’ so the neighbours didn’t call the ambulance before she could put… Read More
When I first read this, it made me think of these verses in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8… A Time for Everything 1 There is a time for everything, … Read More
One of the many things that MECS has invested in over the past 10 years has been our IT department infrastructure and resources, for all settings right across the school. This has benefited teaching and learning significantly and has also opened many exciting paths that both teachers… Read More
Why is physical development so important? When children get to know their bodies and what they are capable of doing, they can explore their environment and make appropriate decisions that enable them to develop confidence and creativity in a wide range… Read More
Back to Basics Sometimes writing these editorials can be tough... what do parents want to know about? Do they need further encouragement to persevere during tough times? Do they need reassurance about their child’s learning, whether it be at school, or at the end of a… Read More
Pondering about houses and homes? There’s more to say. Last term I began to explore the notion that if we think about Christian schools using the metaphor of home/house/household there are some ideas that may help us to think more clearly about MECS. So far, we’ve considered the… Read More
It was wet and cold, and the power was out at home because of some wild Victorian weather as I wrote this. My laptop battery kept going for three hours. Earlier that Thursday morning I was able to send you all an SMS about school being interrupted because of the electricity being… Read More
Phew! Even the title of this editorial alone may bring about cold-sweats for the ‘less digitally native’ of parents in the audience. We can’t work out our Instagram from our Tweets, let alone why or how Tik-Tok is anything more than a biscuit clock covered in icing. But as we raise… Read More
Children have an amazing capacity to wonder if we only allow them the time and space to do so. I love spending time out in God’s world exploring with my grandchildren and noticing how they view the world. By watching a worm moving across their hand, climbing a tree, or watching… Read More
I’m a visual learner! I’m a kinesthetic learner! I’m an auditory learner! These are declarations that are often heard in schools, workplaces and beyond as people proclaim their preferred learning style. So let's discuss learning styles and how people learn. Learning… Read More
These days we face so many challenges as we seek to nurture and help our children to grow up in uncertain times. The world in which we live is complex and conflicted. There are so many competing worldviews, ‘agendas’ and value systems, and our children are surrounded by ‘mixed… Read More
As a newcomer to the MECS community, it has been a wonderful journey of discovery over the last few months as the various facets of the MECS culture have become more familiar to me. One of the encouraging things about Christian education is that, despite schools being in geographically… Read More
Have you ever had an experience that totally lived up to your expectations and you came away totally satisfied? It could be a meal at a great restaurant, the holiday of a lifetime, a much anticipated birthday celebration… Satisfaction is sometimes hard to measure, or even… Read More
A few years ago we chose the motto Faithful Learning, Faithful Living for our Senior School at MECS. I think the joy of any catchphrase, motto or vision statement is that depending on how you look at it, it can be meaningfully interpreted in a wide variety of ways. To… Read More
At the end of last term, and for the first time, the Senior Primary cohort conducted a small formal ceremony for our newest Student and Tribal Leaders. In previous years, we have welcomed them in front of the whole Primary School, however we had great success with this latest edition.… Read More
Over the last 15 years or so our Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) has been the tool we have used to guide the development of buildings and grounds on the MECS and Ranges TEC campuses. It has been the tool we have used to make the case for millions of dollars of capital grants over… Read More
Take delight in the Lord for he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 What a delight it was to showcase our Kinder last Saturday as we held our first ‘Kinder only’ Open Day. I have been reflecting on how our kinder has developed and grown over the… Read More
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, Read More
Change is an inevitable part of life. Each year we start with new classes, new students join us and we welcome new staff. It is exciting to see how the new faces fit into the MECS puzzle. Before long we know and love these people as part of our community. It’s like they’ve always… Read More
Recently, as I was working away at my computer (wearing my new glasses – prescribed to assist my tired computer screen eyes) I was unaware that my vision was clouded. It wasn’t until I removed the glasses, focused on the lenses, and noticed the smears and smudges that I had been… Read More
A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha… so the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick." When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory… Read More
At the end of every semester, schools produce an academic report to parents that gives a snapshot of your child’s progress throughout the previous six months. No doubt we all received these reports when we were at school as well. However, even though this system of reporting progress… Read More
Change is always happening…. and I love it! It makes me worried when things stay the same for too long. Whether it’s re-arranging the lounge room furniture, taking up a new hobby or even getting a new haircut; I like it when things change … just a bit. It’s the same with… Read More
John tells this story – “I was born in England and our family emigrated to Australia in 1956 when I was just one. The world back then was a much bigger… Read More
Bala-Räli Dhara?anmirr (Understanding Bothways) As we head toward the end of a very unusual year and utter a collective sigh… Read More
1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old — 3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. 4… Read More
On Friday 30 October, we celebrated the last day of schooling for our Year 12’s with Muckeration Day. Hopefully you enjoyed some great photos in the newsletter last week as the day progressed with parades, assemblies, games and speeches. It was my… Read More
2020 has been a year of change, not all of them great and many have taken their toll on each of us in different ways. It can be easy to get swept up in the ever changing landscape. It is important, however, that we try and find a new normality this year, especially for… Read More
These past holidays, upon doing a ‘spring clean’ in our garage, I discovered a collection of 30-year-old books and comics that belonged to my husband as a boy. A few of the titles were ‘Pick-a-Path’ books. For… Read More
Are we nearly there? As we hopefully endure the last couple of weeks of extended lockdowns, one could not be blamed or criticised for feeling as though their hope and optimism levels were waning. We still wonder what the next few months will hold? Will we be able to… Read More
If I’ve learnt one thing this year it’s how to be flexible! Our everyday life has been drastically interrupted and changed, but learning for us all continues, we continue to adapt, to change, to stretch, to grow. As… Read More
Narelle talks about it at Enrolment Interviews, it is talked about by Board Members at the New Parent Dinner, it gets a mention at the Parent Seminars, and then there is the ads in the newsletter for the AGM and EGM, what is this? What does it all mean? Read More
The word “unprecedented” has probably been overused since March this year. Indulge me as I use it once more in this editorial about next year’s school fees. The COVID-19 crisis has well and truly overshadowed any issues related to school funding in the… Read More
I love games, my children love games; we are a game-loving family! Games bring us together, teach us about choices, chances and consequences, and help us to grow in character. I’ve never referred to… Read More
How are you doing? Really, I mean how are you doing, not just in the polite sense of the question, but in the reality of life in Stage 4 lockdown. It’s not easy working from home, schooling our kids remotely, and being isolated. In this current climate… Read More
Whilst normally attributed to the loss of a loved one, grief is the normal response to the loss of anything that is significant to us. And of significance for each of us today, is the loss of ‘normal life’. Place on top of that the loss of significant/anticipated moments… Read More
Thank you for your patience over the last week as we all adjusted to the Stage 4 restrictions and what that meant for our school, our Learning Hubs and the many families at home facilitating remote learning. We… Read More
“This was supposed to be the best year of school and now I feel like I have missed most of it”. As we all come to terms with a range of disappointments brought about by COVID-19, I thought it would be helpful for our MECS Community to gain a little… Read More
I have been reflecting on this interesting season that we find ourselves in, children doing school at home, social distancing, masks, only going out for essential reasons, and the list goes on. It is very easy to get caught in a trap of despair and hopelessness… Read More
Recently I have been reading the book, ‘The Art of Growing Up’, by John Marsden. Marsden is most well-known for being a bestselling children’s author, but he is also an influential educator, particularly in the area of alternative education settings.… Read More
Often when I conduct enrolment interviews with prospective families with school-aged children, I try to explain the nature of partnership to the children so that they can understand better what their parents and I are talking about. Read More
Jo has demonstrated a high degree of capability in bike riding and tree climbing during remote learning. This has assisted him to concentrate for sustained periods of time whilst working on his Schoolbox assignments. Jo has also shown that he can at times get along… Read More
In our household we have the motto ‘Try everything!’ which is used to encourage our 5 year old daughter, and often ourselves, to not be limited by her preconceptions or personal fears, but to take hold of a moment and experience all that life has to offer: new foods,… Read More
As we read last week in Narelle's editorial, we have a lot to be thankful for in this season. At MECS Kinder we have continued to offer onsite classes for some families throughout the term, as well as remote learning for other families. I am so thankful for a willing… Read More
On my wall above my desk and I have a saying, ‘Too Blessed to be Stressed’. It prompts me to check my perspective and be thankful for all the good things God is doing each day, rather than being stressed about things outside… Read More
Term Two has seemed to be somewhat of a rollercoaster … taking on many fun but interesting narratives and, understandably, experienced differently by all. The old Aussie adage of ‘she’ll be right’ got thrown out the window early on and things quickly got serious. And… Read More
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over… Read More
I think that shock is one of the major, if under acknowledged, impacts on us of COVID-19 at present. Our world has changed abruptly and that has shocked us. When I was a child of twelve, my world changed unexpectedly when my family… Read More
How good are you at remembering? So much of our lives seems to rely on the act of remembering. Much of our educational endeavour is based on it. Our justice system relies on it. We are told to remember the past so as to not repeat it. Much of our daily lives requires… Read More
These are very interesting, trying times! We are currently facing unprecedented, worldwide disruptions to all that we know due to the unknowns of the COVID-19 virus. COVID-19 comes on the back of massive… Read More
As students enter the Senior School, many are confronted for the first time with having to seriously consider their future careers. Subjects need to be selected that ensure they don’t close doors to jobs they may wish to pursue. Increasingly, I am… Read More
This year in our staff devotions, we are reading and reflecting on the Gospels. As such we have started with Matthew. So far we have covered chapters 1-14! The book of Matthew encourages… Read More
A new school year begins with excitement, nerves, hopes and dreams. After a couple of weeks, the ‘newness’ wears away and routines take over: routines of getting up early, being on time, being organised, having lunches sorted, and everything else… Read More
Over recent months, you would have seen much in the media about VCE results and tertiary placements for this coming year. So what about our students? How did they go? Did they all get into what they wanted to do? Have they been successful? Read More
Many parents and grandparents in our community are able to reflect back to the time before ‘smartphones’ were part of our daily lives; when having a Nokia with the ‘snake’ game was something to ‘wow’ your mates with;… Read More
Welcome back to school! Hopefully you all received your copy of the latest edition of Nurture1 at the end of last year. In the opening pages, Dr Rod Thompson talked about faithful work, witness and wisdom in Christian education. In his… Read More
I love a bit of royal pomp and ceremony. Royal weddings, royal babies and of course, royal coronations! If you have seen original footage of the Queen’s coronation in 1953 (or indeed watched ‘The Crown’ on Netflix), you will have been blown away… Read More
Over the past fifteen years, I have had many parents ask for advice for dealing with teenage angst... “He always seems to overreact”. “She’s always crying over little things”. “She never tells me anything”. “He’s acting out, but I don’t know why”. “She’s… Read More
A few years ago, we declared MECS Primary a ‘National Park’ with the slogan of ‘rubbish in and rubbish out’. You may have been wondering if we are still a National Park and if we are still committed to a more sustainable way of life at MECS. The answer is a resounding YES! We are… Read More
Each morning, our staff gather together in various formats to start the day in fellowship and prayer. Three mornings a week we do this all together and all our staff have the opportunity to lead devotions based on the theme we are thinking about… Read More
As the person who is responsible for the marketing at MECS, I am fortunate enough to attend conferences and hear experts talking about marketing in a school context. These experts talk about ‘word of mouth’ marketing being one of the most powerful… Read More
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