Newsletter~Term 4~Week 6~2020

NAIDOC Week
College News
TERM FOUR | WEEK SIX
20th November, 2020


Exec Thoughts
LOUISE HUMAN | HEAD OF BOARDING Boomerang Joy
We had the privilege of celebrating NAIDOC week at Mar- rara Christian College this past week. NAIDOC Week cele- brations are held across Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indig- enous communities but by Australians from all walks of life. There was a range of activities held at Marrara over the week, with some of the highlights being the assembly on Thursday morning, a magpie goose cook-up and the week was end- ed with a footy game on Friday between current Indigenous and old Marrara students.
The theme for NAIDOC 2020 was “Always Was, Always Will Be.” Through the theme, it is recognised that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years and are spiritually and culturally connected to this country.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astrono- mers and first artists.
Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories. The First Peoples engraved the world’s first maps, made the earliest paintings of ceremony, and invented unique technologies. They built and engineered structures - structures on Earth - predating well-known sites such as the Egyptian Pyramids and Stone- henge.
My mind was captured by the phrase “first engineers” and while ruminating about this, I realised that the boomerang would be in one of the oldest Indigenous engineering mar- vels. In the past many Indigenous Australians kitted them- selves with a boomerang, a curved flat wood, when they went hunting. The device is a historical weapon primarily designed to hunt animals.
Thrown with a high spin, the boomerang flies in a curved rather than a straight line. Its long reach and stability are strategic characteristics that other hunting weapons do not possess. When it is correctly handled, the tool returns to its starting point. That is its chief quality: the ability to return to its sender.
diary dates
THANKSGIVING SERVICE
Thursday, 26th November
Darwin Convention Centre
Doors open at 5:00 pm Students dropped of by 5:20 pm Service Commences at 5:30 pm
Refer to Compass Events for more information.
NOVEMBER
Thursday 26th
Thanksgiving Service
Saturday 28th
Year 12 Formal
Monday 30th
Year 9 Dinner
DECEMBER
Wednesday 9th
Farewell & Awards Assembly NTCC student’s last day
Thursday 10th
Year 6 Celebration Evening
Wednesday 16th
Christmas Assembly
Thursday 17th
MCC student’s last day


CATEGORY 1 - PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Choose from one of the below options for the chance to win one of 12 $50 movie vouchers!*
Option 1
NT STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION
Road Safety Week 15-22 November 2020
Hey kids, enter before
22 November to help raise awareness about how to stay safe on the roads.
Your creativity could see your design driving around town on the back of a bus! Plus $50 movie vouchers up for grabs.*
*TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
Choose one of these road safety templates to colour in at www.buslink.com.au/art-competition: Template 1 OR Template 2
Option 2
Design an original image and/or slogan that communicates one of the following safety concerns for students when exiting a bus:
(a) What should you do with mobiles and earphones/earbuds before you exit a bus?
OR
(b) After exiting a bus, when is it safe to cross the road? (Hint: After the bus has moved away).
CATEGORY 2 - MIDDLE / SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS
Choose from one of the below options for the chance to win one of 12 $50 movie vouchers. The winning high school student design will also star on a bus!*
Option 1
Design an original image and/or slogan that communicates one of the following safety concerns for students when exiting the bus:
(a) What should you do with mobile phones and earphones/earbuds before you exit a bus? OR
(b) After exiting a bus, when is it safe to cross the road? (Hint: After the bus has moved away).
Option 2
Design an original image and/or slogan that clearly communicates what you consider to be the most important bus safety rule.
How to enter? Follow the guidelines at
www.buslink.com.au/art-competition
In partnership with NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics and the NT Department of Education
I would like us to consider the returning boomerang spiritually within the context of Psalm 18 verse 26 “to the pure you show yourself pure.” The passage expresses the basic principles that should guide man’s relation- ship with the Lord, reaping what you sow. The boomerang flies back at its sender, not intending to hurt him but simply to report that it is not lost in transit.
With the thought “beware of what you throw at heaven, it is coming back at you,” I would like to share a story. Mr Philip Simmons is a master ironworker and resides in Charleston, South Carolina. Magazines have fea- tured his work and his unique style makes his work highly sought after. Despite his many accolades, he lives a simple life. Although retired he still works from the original blacksmith shop behind his modest home. Not concerned about riches, Mr. Simmons is astounded over the fuss about him.
On a bus tour to his home, one of the tourists asked him about his giving to others especially his nieces and nephews he was supporting to get a college education. His response was simple and insightful. He stated, he just keeps giving and giving and just keeps getting and getting.
The story is a very practical example of the “boomerang effect,” keep giving and we will keep getting, not only money or recognition but also joy and forgiveness.
Boomerang giving, the boomerang is a simple, flat curved hunting tool but amazing, throw it and it comes back to you, and the multiplication effect is even more amazing. Your joy in giving becomes someone else’s joy, which gives even more joy to others. This boomerang joy springs up when we honour God by giving, forgiving, and spreading joy to others. Spreading God’s joy becomes our joy and the spreading of joy be- comes contagious.
I would like to challenge us this coming week to toss the boomerang with joy!!!!
Entry forms available at Reception
WINNING DESIGN DISPLAYED ON THE REAR OF A BUS


Last Thursday Primary students boogied the afternoon away with an 80s themed disco that aided in collecting non-perishable goods to be donated to the Food Bank Christmas Hamper Food Drive.
The afternoon was full of deadly dance moves, lots of laughter and of course, tons of creative costumes. Lower Primary began, showing off their funky dance skills, followed by Upper Primary, taking the reigns
and busting out some rocking moves. Students and teachers alike had a wonderful time.
We had such fun dancing the night away and, most importantly, collected a far greater quantity of food and treats for the Foodbank Christmas Hamper Appeal than we had even hoped. It is such a joy to see our students having fun and learning along the way that we are blessed to be a blessing to others!




Last week Marrara Christian College celebrated NAIDOC Week. This years’ theme was “Always Was, Always Will Be” and paid tribute to our First Nations people as the first to discover, explore, understand and cultivate this great continent. What a wonderful opportunity it was for our school community to celebrate the culture, history and achieve- ments of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The centerpiece of the week was the NAIDOC assembly which was a festive gathering including Middle, Senior and Year 5/6, with students from Sattler Christian College and Nungalinya College, which trains Indigenous adults in ministry and biblical studies.
The Welcome to Country by Larrakia elder, Donna Jackson was a respectful beginning. Ian Morris then spoke about his experience of learning science from Indigenous
people and Charlie King honoured the Indigenous heroes of the past.
There were other activities throughout the week, drawing attention to Indigenous achievement and cultural knowledge including magpie goose cooking and damper making. Many classes focused on Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous students were able to share culture and language in some of the Primary classes.
The grand finale of the week was the All Stars football match on Friday which highlighted the footy talents of many of our students.
Thanks goes to Lyndal England who headed up an army of staff and student volunteers to make the week a success. Our hope for the future is that Marrara Christian College can continue to be a grace- filled place of reconciliation and mutual understanding between our Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and that experiences like NAIDOC week can be formational in the learning of all students.
Check the Marrara NAIDOC video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZb0TtazU6g
LIZ CLARKSON | 9E TEACHER & EAL/D MIDDLE SCHOOL COORDINATOR




Forty-one Middle School basketball players from Marrara descended on the basketball stadium a couple of weeks ago for the Interschool Basket- ball Tournament. Students competed in teams of 3 in the 3x3 half-court competition. This is a fast game, with lots of action and opportunities to
demonstrate teamwork and individual skills.
Our 13 teams were spread across 6 pools. Over all we had 2 teams that came second and 2 teams that came third in their pool. As always, students are required to umpire and score for other games and after some support from teachers and Jai West (our student ref) all teams were confidently taking on this responsibility. We are looking forward to many more Middle School interschool sports days next year.