Wednesday 1 November 2023 marked the first day of the new month but also allowed all secondary students at Northshore Christian Grammar School (NCGS) to take time out from their scheduled classes to attend a short opening for the building known to contractors as ‘Stage 3A’, but christened by College Principal Mr Stuart Chisholm as ‘F Building’.
What does the ‘F’ stand for? Perhaps it was the presence of faith, God the Father, or simply the fact that it was situated between ‘Building E’ and ‘Building G’ on the master plan drawn up by TRCB Architects way back in 2016 when the school was first proposed. Mr Eamon Broderick and Ms Ashleigh O’Neill from TRCB were present for the ceremony, along with Sanpro Construction who have been present for much of the NCGS building since 2016. Special mention was also made of Mr Rowan Joubert (Chief Financial Officer – SCEA) and Mr Jon-Paul Bullard (Technical Architect – SCEA) for their part in managing the building stages, ICT configurations and the financial implications that are placed upon the organisation when large projects of this nature are undertaken.
The secondary students sat for the 30-minute ceremony, which has grown from the small group of 50 students who welcomed the opening of the school in the Shorehaven Estate in early 2017. Mrs Tracey Roberts MP, Mr Alex Figg (Councillor, City of Wanneroo) and Ms Lisa Robertshaw from the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA) were present for the festivities with Dr Graeme Cross (Chief Executive Officer – SCEA) paying tribute to the staff and students at the school for their determination and patience to deliver education in an ever-expanding campus.
The dedication of the building was given by NCGS’s Chaplain Mr Gregg Swanby, who was ably supported on the day by students Ms Keira Okoth and Ms Jessica Slade.
Visiting members of other SCEA schools, including Dr Darnelle Pretorius and Mr Terry Eason (Swan Christian College), Mrs Gigi Thiele (Ellenbrook Christian College) and Mr Craig Hunter (Kalamunda Christian School) were on hand to support staff as they unveiled the plaque. Mrs Fiona Jones, who would be known to many of the SCEA staff for her excellent worship leading at this year’s SCEA Celebration Day, put her organisational skills to work and had every part of the day choreographed and prepared.
The photos below show the smiles and celebratory mood of the morning.
