As we commence Term 4, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all students, staff, and parents. This term marks the culmination of another successful school year, and it is a critical time for reflection, perseverance, and achievement.

A significant highlight of this term is our upcoming primary musical production, The Little Mermaid Jr, which will be performed in Week 3. Our students have worked diligently over the past months, and their efforts will undoubtedly come to fruition in what promises to be a spectacular performance. I encourage all members of our school community to support and celebrate the talents of our young performers.

This term also brings with it a focus on academic commitment. Our Year 12 students are now preparing for their final HSC examinations, a crucial milestone in their educational journey. I wish them all the very best as they undertake this important step toward their future pathways. Similarly, our Year 11 students have commenced their HSC courses, and we trust they will approach this new chapter with dedication and determination.

As we progress through this final term, it is important to reflect on the growth, learning, and experiences that have shaped us throughout the year. Let us continue to strive for excellence and finish the year with purpose and pride. As we are reminded in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Best wishes for a successful Term 4.

We warmly welcome back Mrs. Genna Pade, who has returned this week from maternity leave. Mrs. Pade will be teaching on 1B every Friday, and we are excited to have her back as part of our team!

The Little Mermaid Jr. rehearsals are in full swing over the next three weeks for all Primary students. The students have been working exceptionally hard on our musical production, and it promises to be a fantastic show, with our Prep students being the opening act for each night. All important information regarding costumes, show times, and other details for students and families will go on the app, so please refer to it regularly. The Thursday and Friday evening shows are selling out fast, with plenty of tickets still available for the Friday matinee performance. Please remember that student attendance is expected at each show, and we can’t wait to see the energy and talent all our students bring to the stage.

Next Friday, the 25th is World Teachers Day. Teachers should be celebrated every day, but one dedicated day a year forces us to stop and think where our world would be without quality educators from early childhood all the way up to University.

We are blessed at OCS to have incredible teachers who are both skillful in their craft, and passionate about your children. Not to mention ALL our staff are dedicated and active Christians who are always willing to share and pray with any of our students if asked.

If you have any encouraging words for our teachers, we’d love to share it with them on this day. Please send an email to Jess at jbushby@ocs.nsw.edu.au and we’ll make sure it gets to them!

Welcome back! I trust you have had a refreshing break. It is hard to believe that it’s Term 4 already. I’m looking forward to seeing what opportunities God has ahead for us this term.

Please uphold all our Year 11 and 12 students who are sitting HSC exams over the coming weeks. May God bring each one of them the peace that transcends all understanding.

As we head into the new term please remember to be on time and come with a good attitude ready to learn and revise in the lead up to exams.

Each year at the beginning of Term 2 each year OCS secondary students undertake Elevate study seminars. Our recent Year 12 cohort sitting the HSC exams are the first group who have now been done an Elevate seminar each year.

We believe these seminars are helpful to the students to build their study skills across the years. They are research based and presented in ways that engage the students. For those students who use the opportunity it can pay dividends.

Elevate also run regular online parent workshops. You may have seem some of them advertised through our newsletter. “Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops to our students that help to develop their study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Over the next term, you’re invited to join their parent webinar series, where you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Hear expert advice on the following topics:

• How to Help Your Child Manage Their Time 30th October 6:30pm (AEDT)
• How You Can Help Your Child Alleviate Stress 13th November 6:30pm (AEDT)
• How You Can Build Resilience in Your Child 27th November 6:30pm (AEDT)
• How You Can Set Your Child Up for Success 11th December 6:30pm (AEDT)

Orange Christian School has taken out the annual Dudley Debating Cup.

This is a long-standing local debating competition sponsored by Dudley Hospital (Ramsey Health). For OCS though, a first, the first time (that we know of) that OCS has made the final. And we won!

The competition is run by Rotary Club of North Orange particularly the organiser, Mr Steve Jackson whose is a grandfather of our school. The final was held at Duntryleague as part of their meeting.

The team: Mia Maslen (First), Amy Pearce (Second), Zarli Hausler (Third) and Lana McFadyen (Fourth) spoke beautifully on the topic: that social media is preventing us from having meaningful connections with others. Unfortunately, our other teammate Megan Huntly was unwell but Zarli stepped in with aplomb.

Taking on Kinross was a challenge for the team, however, something that stood out was the way that our team worked together very well and took a broad view of the topic that recognised that social media is here to stay, and we need to work out the best ways to use to the benefit of all.

It was a real privilege to witness these wonderful young ladies speak and represent our school. We appreciate the family members and others who attended to support the team. Debating is a fantastic brain sport. It challenges us to think critically, communicate well, and collaborate with team members.

There will be more debating opportunities in 2025. Be part of it!

Stage 5 students recently engaged in their major formal assessment, the Science Research Project (SRP). These projects required students to conduct individual research into a topic of their choosing, to develop a hypothesis, identify variables (to manipulate, measure, and maintain), design a valid procedure, conduct an experiment, communicate results, and analyse and interpret data. This assessment is a mandatory requirement of the NSW Stage 5 Science course and is intended to allow students to demonstrate many of the skills and knowledge of working scientifically which they have been developing over many years.

Some examples of investigations our students conducted were:

• The effect of spent coffee grounds on plant growth
• The relationship between light intensity and wheat growth
• The effect of the concentration of sugar solution on the production of carbon
  dioxide gas during the fermentation of yeast
• The correlation between cost of washing detergents and effectiveness of stain removal

By engaging in independent inquiry and problem-solving, students have cultivated a deeper understanding of the scientific process and its relevance to everyday life. It’s our hope that the knowledge and experience gained through these scientific investigations will inspire many of our students to pursue further learning in science with enthusiasm and curiosity.

We are currently organising our staffing and classes for next year, and while we expect that most of our families will want to continue their partnership with the school into the 2025 school year, we recognise that sometimes people relocate. If your child is not returning for the 2025 school year, please send through your notification to the Registrar Mrs Louise Bornen before Friday 22nd November (email to lbornen@ocs.nsw.edu.au or written notification through to the front office).

As per our Enrolment Policy, Orange Christian School requires 10 weeks written notice if your child will not be returning to OCS.