Medowie Christian School’s mission is to equip and empower students to reach their God-given potential. The school has a proud, 25-year history as an educational pioneer in Port Stephens, NSW, and this ground-breaking history continues to today, with Medowie Christian School among only a few independent schools to be NESA-approved to offer distance education from Kindergarten to Year 12, including the Higher School Certificate. Medowie Christian School implements the Australian Curriculum, as prescribed by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
Through the innovative learning landscape mcs+, Medowie Christian School offers students throughout NSW the opportunity to engage in its high-quality teaching practices and learning experiences, whatever their geographic location. It is distance education, but not as you know it. Students engaging in Medowie Christian School’s Borderless Learning program are undergoing the same authentic learning as day school students, but in a different format and environment. Teachers provide tuition, support and are readily available for students. There are regular opportunities for student-teacher interaction and community building through web interaction, excursions, visits, other events and camps. Units of work are developed by our educators for students and appropriately delivered in a digital learning platform with regular personal feedback. Students are also able to engage in many day student events, such as athletics and swimming carnivals and school excursions, during their residential sessions. MCS+ is available for full time enrolment for students from Kindergarten to Year 12, on either a temporary or permanent basis. Categories for full time enrolment include:
Single course enrolment is available for Primary students in the foundational Literacy and Numeracy subjects. Single courses enrolment is also available to students in Years 9 to 12 when the home school cannot provide the required breadth and flexibility of curriculum.
Supervision of Borderless Learning
It is a requirement of Medowie Christian School that a parent, carer or other approved supervisor be available to meet childcare protection requirements, as well as support the child to complete the learning programs developed by the distance education school.
All distance education enrolments are reviewed annually to ensure students are meeting standards of engagement and participation to satisfy attendance requirements.
What is required of parents and carers?
Residential Schools
It is a requirement that all full-time students engage in a minimum of 15 days of residential school sessions. Residential sessions are held once a term, where students are required to be on-site at Medowie Christian School for five days. Each residential session includes opportunities for relationship building with peers and teachers, excursions and engagement in short-cycle project based learning.
Residential students in Primary school from Kindergarten to Year 4 must reside with a parent or direct carer or relative approved by the school. Students in years 5-12 may participate in Medowie Christian School’s home stay program if they are not in a position to attend with a parent or carer. Our residential schools are a great opportunity for mcs+ parents and carers to connect with other parents and careers and there are many opportunities for relationship building during each session.
Medowie Christian School is accepting expressions of interest for studying through mcs+ in 2021. Places will be strictly limited and families will receive more information in early October
"While 2020 has been a year like no other, it has also presented us with opportunities we hadn’t thought to explore before or even realise were possible. The COVID-19 global pandemic has helped us realise the importance of technology in breaking down physical and geographical barriers and improving accessibility to receive a quality education virtually. I welcome the introduction of distance learning as a permanent opportunity at Medowie Christian School and believe it is a wonderful asset to the education space. Providing quality education to children and preparing them for the future is vital to securing our prosperity in years to come. I look forward to welcoming the future distance education students to Medowie Christian School and to the Port Stephens community."
"Medowie Christian School impresses me on so many levels and in so many ways. It consistently gets the balances right by: being innovative in its programs while giving focussed attention to the development of students' fundamental skills and knowledge; unequivocally embedding its values in all that it does; putting the needs, interests and aspirations of students, teachers and parents/carers at the forefront; and actively equipping its students with the competencies they need to thrive in life and work beyond school."
"Preparing our amazing young people for their futures in a highly interconnected world takes a school that provides relevance, rigour and relationships. Medowie Christian School is evolving its teaching and learning environment making it a national leader in connecting the opportunities of face-to-face learning with the flexibility of engaging hybrid platforms. For too long schools have been places young people go to watch their teachers work. Medowie Christian is committed to providing a caring community with deep learning utilising the best features of the emerging technologies in school, at home and wherever the learning is best suited to take place. I am excited about how the talented staff are embracing the changing nature of our society while keeping high academic expectations and strong pastoral care no matter what format a student is engaging to study at a given time."
"Medowie Christian School has again proven itself as a trailblazer in education, becoming among the first independent schools in NSW to be NESA-accredited to offer the HSC via distance education. I am excited to see mcs+ become a reality. There is great demand for this among our elite young sports players who crave quality learning experiences while focusing on their training. This innovative offering means this state's dedicated and talented sporting boys and girls do not have to sacrifice education for the game."
