…Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:16)

On Thursday evening, the School held its Association Annual General Meeting (AGM). This was a well-attended event, whereby the school community made up of staff, parents, and Association members came together to share in devotions, confirm meeting minutes, welcome new Association members, review the Financial Statements, discuss business, and hear various presentations based on the Annual Report in 2023. If you missed the AGM, then please read the Annual Report (via our website) and if you want to partner the School in its mission, and you meet its criteria, then please become an Association member!

At the AGM, I was encouraged to hear Tegan Cunial’s (Board member) devotion on 1 Thessalonians 5. The devotion could be summed up in this verse; “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (v16). This verse resonated with me, as I reflected on 2023. It was a challenging year in many respects, but there was also much to be thankful for. This mindset of being thankful or a gratitude mindset is not an easy one to adopt, especially when times are tough. As we cannot rely on our own strength, we turn to God and pray and pray continually. This simple reminder was an encouragement to us all, that God wants us to pray to Him so that we can become more like Christ.

I hope to see many more new Association members at our next meeting.

At Orange Christian School, we believe in nurturing not just academic excellence but also character in our students. This year, once again we invite our school community to be actively involved in the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, OCS has received the honour of being the biggest contributor (as a percentage of our student numbers) to the appeal over the last 8 years. This culture of servant leadership is paramount to who we are as a school that seeks to base our values on the life and teaching of Jesus. Our students’ involvement highlights the values of empathy, integrity, and selfless service.

A couple of our student leaders (pictured – Leila Johnston and Lydia Kinsella) recently had the honour of attending the Red Shield Appeal launch luncheon. This event was more than just a fundraiser; it was an inspiring gathering where community leaders, volunteers, and supporters came together to champion the cause of helping those in need. At the luncheon, our students heard firsthand accounts of the impact of the Salvation Army’s work, which deepened their understanding and commitment to servant leadership and inspired them to encourage participation in the appeal.

We are incredibly proud of our students for their dedication and hard work in support of the Red Shield Appeal over many years and trust that this year will be no different. We believe that by fostering our school values, we are preparing our students to be compassionate, ethical, and impactful leaders of tomorrow.

Congratulations Esther W (Shadrach), Archie N (Meshach) and Jacob P (Abednego) for being selected as the Term 2 Assistant House Captains. They join the Primary Captains and House leaders from Stage 3, and we know this will be a great opportunity to develop their leadership skills.

Lydia W, Hannah M, Lucy D and Abby H will be representing our Primary school next week at the CWA Public Speaking Competition. They will be competing against students from other schools from across the region. For several weeks, the Stage 2 and 3 students have been studiously writing, editing and rehearsing their speeches, culminating in the presentation of their hard work to their classmates. This has been a valuable learning and growth opportunity. Well done Stage 2 and 3 for your efforts with this activity.

Thank you to our SLT and everyone who came along to the Blue and Yellow themed movie night to help raise money for the Cancer Council. It was a great night with over $500 raised for a fantastic cause

This Saturday, we will be meeting at school at 9.30am for the Red Shield Appeal. Please see SchoolStream for more details.

With Stage 4 and 5 exams are coming up in Week 6, it is time to focus on revision, remember that even a little bit of study each day will make a big difference.

Lastly, the Senior Subject Market is on Thursday 20^th of June. This is a great opportunity to for Year 10 students to come along to and explore your options for Stage 6 at OCS.

Work Experience for Year 10

Work experience is in Week 6 of Term 3. It is especially important that students and families are working toward that now. Students have the link to the Careers Canvas course that has all the work experience documentation plus the Careers department login that is chock full of helpful information about careers.

Living at University – Year 12

Ward Lucas from “Living at University” (LaU) will visit our school on June 6. There is a PARENT SEMINAR at Orange City Bowling Club on June 5 from 5-6.30. LaU are student accommodation providers committed to Christian ethos, community, safety and pastoral care. They have residential colleges at UNSW (New College), UMaq (Robert Menzies College), plus USyd, CSU Wagga, and others. Students have been emailed more information.

UAC, Scholarships and Early Entry

Students have received their UAC codes and are encouraged to submit choices soon. There is a lot of information coming out now about early entry. This is passed on to students via email as it comes in. Please talk to your Year 12 student about them. Another major area that can sometimes be overlooked is scholarships; many universities have generous scholarships available that can ease the burden of tuition and accommodation costs.

It may be hard to admit it, but we all lack integrity at some point or another. We like to justify our poor behaviours or actions, but really, we are just being hypocrites.

Hypokrites, the Greek word that we translate as “hypocrite,” means literally “an actor or stage player”. In ancient Greek drama, each actor played several different roles. They used a different carved wooden mask for each of the various characters they were playing. When an actor in ancient Greece needed to switch to a different character, he simply picked up a different mask and held it in front of his face.

I think many of us do pretty much the same thing. We often try to present ourselves in the best possible light, even if it’s not honest, accurate or authentic. Jesus was very clear what He thought about hypocrites in Matthew 23:25 – 28. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence”. You can read the other verses yourself. Jesus exposed the Pharisees for what they were. He essentially said that they were play actors, with no integrity. He said that they looked nice and righteous on the outside, but on the inside, their hearts were full of sin.

Jesus reminds us that it doesn’t make any difference if people appear to be righteous. What matters is to be pure on the inside. We must start with what’s inside us, allowing Jesus to transform us, and then our actions will follow suit. Through Jesus, we can clean the inside of the cup before we move on to the outside. Integrity starts from the inside out, not the outside in.