Supporting our students to extend their growth by creating new opportunities. Extracurricular activities encourage students to fulfil their potential. St Narsai offers an expansive suite of activities to support our students outside of the classroom. These opportunities help students make new friends, develop new interests, and deepen their social and intellectual growth.
Our Extra-Curricular Activities
Sport
Our philosophy is to promote physical activity to all students and provide opportunities for participation at all levels of skill.
Being involved in sport promotes both physical and mental wellbeing, builds confidence, encourages teamwork and helps facilitate friendships outside of the classroom. Sport should be fun, as well as competitive and teach students how to enjoy success and accept disappointment.
Sport Carnivals
St Narsai Assyrian Christian College holds annual carnivals in athletics, cross country and swimming. Our students enjoy these days very much and learn a great deal about sportsmanship, teamwork and House spirit. Within the School, we have a four House system: Edessa (Green), Nineveh (Red), Nisibis (Blue) and Seleucia (Yellow). House spirit can be very intense during our School carnivals and the students are very House proud.
At each carnival the whole School community comes together and experiences a sense of belonging. They are a highlight of the School calendar.
Sport Houses
Edessa
Edessa, established around 302 BC in Upper Mesopotamia, emerged as a significant hub of Syriac Christianity. As per a legend recounted by Eusebius, King Abgar V Ukkãmã embraced Christianity through Addai, one of the seventy-two disciples dispatched by “Judas, also known as Thomas.”
This led to the religion’s adoption as the kingdom’s official faith. The School of Edessa, founded by Narsai, boasted notable figures like Bardesanes, renowned for Christian poetry. Urfa, in Turkey’s Sanliurfa Province, now occupies the city’s ancient site.
Ninevah
Nineveh served as the capital of the Ancient Assyrians. Its splendor peaked during King Sennacherib’s reign, with statues weighing between 9 and 27 tonnes. Nineveh was where Jonah preached God’s message, prompting a city-wide fast for 40 days, including babies and animals.
Even the King humbled himself, fasting and praying. Additionally, Nineveh was the Bishopric See of St. Isaac, a 7th-century monk renowned for his writings on monastic life, although he resigned from his episcopal office shortly after consecration.
Nisibis
Nisibis, birthplace of St. Ephrem Malpana (born 306 AD) and St. Narsai the Harp of the Spirit (born 399 AD), was seized by the ancient Assyrians under King Adad-Nirari II in 896 BC. It became the second most significant city in the Church of the East after Seleucia-Ctesiphon, serving as its patriarchate See.
Renowned as the home of the world’s first university, it was a theological hub during the Classical Period, offering faculties in Theology, Philosophy, and Medicine. St. Narsai the Harp of the Spirit, former head of the School of Edessa, was a prominent instructor at the School of Nisibis.
Seleucia
Seleucia was the capital of the Seleucid Empire; founded by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Seleucia was the first See of the Patriarchate of the Church of the East. It was the centre of the Church of the East for the first couple of centuries after Christ’s resurrection.
The first official Synod of the Church of the East was held in Seleucia in 410 AD by St. Isaac Catholicos. It had accepted the Nicene Creed during this Synod, which was brought by a Western Bishop named St. Marutha of Maiperat.
