It has been great to see everyone back and welcome new students and families to the school this week. I trust that the holiday break was refreshing and energising for all in our community. It is fair that after a lengthy break, many of us, students, parents and staff alike have found ourselves out of the regular routine that happens when school is on. Routines are powerful for us as human beings as we settle into habits that shape our daily actions. These habits and routines even shape our character. The need for high expectations and consistency of routines has been well documented in education circles.

The NSW Department of Education states “Classroom rules and routines are essential for effective classroom management. They provide predictability and structure and help to minimise disruption and support student’s engagement in learning.”  https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/pre-service-teacher-resources/PositiveBehaviourSupportBehaviouralExpectations.pdf

Therefore, at OCS we aim to provide the appropriate boundaries and expectations for our students. These expectations help develop a sense of calm in the classroom and students are confident with what to expect as they interact with each other and their teachers. Over the past 12 months we have been refining this into what we are calling the ‘OCS Way’. I am going to write in further detail about this in due course, but for now I wanted to highlight what I shared with students (Year 3-12) on Monday morning. As you can see by the table below (this is just for reference and too small to read, as I will outline more at another stage), we are clarifying the different levels of positive engagement and discipline layers. In essence it follows the ‘rule of three’s’. This means that 3 positive merits will mean a student goes to bronze level and so on. Likewise, a student who receives three formal lunch time detentions in a term will move to Level –1 yellow etc. These levels are designed to encourage and redirect students to the kinds of behaviours we expect. It is important to note that our student code of conduct has not changed, and this has been more of a refinement in processes. There has already been enthusiasm about this, as I shared this with students and staff, as they can already see the benefit. I look forward to sharing more with our community in due course. In the meantime, I hope all of our families have had a great start back to school.

Welcome back everyone and we also warmly welcome the many new families who have joined us from Kindergarten through to Year 6. The Primary Team are looking forward to a term where students are encouraged to achieve their best, care for one another, strengthen friendships and enjoy all the learning opportunities that come their way.

We encourage all families to attend our upcoming Dedication Serviceand Meet the Teacher Evening, this being an important opportunity to connect with your child’s class teacher and other parents.

You will find welcome letters for each stage on the school app, filled with important class information and upcoming events.

We look forward to a great year ahead!

We are thrilled to welcome both new and returning students to an exciting new school year. The start of a new term brings fresh opportunities, new friendships, and countless chances to learn, grow, and succeed.

Thank you to our parents who joined us for our student leaders induction assembly this morning. This was a moving and significant way to celebrate and formally recognise the students who will take on leadership roles this year.

Next Thursday, 13th February we are holding our Dedication Service and Meet the Teacher evening. Come from 4:30pm for an ice cream and sausage sizzle where we will celebrate our new car park together and then gather in Ngalgarra Hall for a meaningful Dedication Service followed by a Meet the Teacher session. This is a wonderful chance for families to connect with teachers.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our traditional and always much anticipated Six Foot Track Stage 4 Expedition is happening Wednesday March 12 – Friday March 14.

Parent Support is essential so that we can provide the necessary supervision of the small groups. Past parents have enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to become better acquainted with students and staff. A significant number of parents are needed to help with supervision, First Aid, providing/driving 4WD supportvehicles and driving the buses – HR and LR licences required.

Please let us know on the form on the note or via School stream if you would love to attend 6 Foot Track!

With the new car park now fully operational, we are going to trial ALL students staying inside the school grounds unless they are walking home. Whereas in the past, students who were being picked up, waited on the grass in front of reception, in the interests of student safety, we are asking all students to remain inside the gate until their parent collects them or their bus arrives. We will trial this for Week 2 and then review.

Welcome back to another exciting school year! We hope you all had a restful break and are ready for a year filled with new learning opportunities, achievements, and memorable moments. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our returning families and to those joining us for the first time this year. We’re excited to see the smiles of familiar faces and to meet new members of our school community.

Car Park Dedication Event – 13th February

To celebrate the long-awaited opening of the carpark, we’re hosting a Car Park Dedication service prior to our Thanksgiving service on Thursday, 13th February. This will be a fun community event and we’d love for you to join us as we officially open our newly updated car park area. We’ll have an Ice Cream Truck and a Sausage Sizzle to enjoy, so be sure to bring your family and make an afternoon of it. It will be a great opportunity to connect with other school families, meet staff, give thanks to the Lord and show your support for the ongoing development of our school facilities. The event will run from 4:30 pm.

We are closely monitoring traffic flow during peak times around the carpark so will continue to assess the bottlenecks. We are particularly interested in how the imminent opening of the Southern Distributor will impact traffic flow so will hold off on any updates until the effects of this are known.

K-Block Renovation Update

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing the best learning environment for our students, we’re excited to update you on the renovation work happening with K-Block. Over the break we’ve made significant progress on the building’s refurbishment, including relocating the existing rooms and gaining early access down the Southern Distributor to deliver the new facilities.  The renovation will offer new learning spaces for our growing school as well as new bathroom facilities and storage areas, and we’re looking forward to unveiling it in the coming weeks. The improvements are all part of our broader efforts to enhance the overall school experience, and we’re thrilled with the progress so far.

Looking Ahead

This year promises to be filled with exciting events and initiatives. As always, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment for all students. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to get involved as we move forward with our plans for the year.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement. We look forward to another successful year together!

The year has only just begun, but the excitement in sport at Orange Christian School is already at an all-time high!

We dove straight into the action with our annual Swimming Carnival on Day 2, and what a day it was! Records tumbled as our students gave their all in the pool. A huge congratulations to Samuel Bennett (Year 12), Phoebe Johns (Year 4) and Izzy Pyle (Year 3) who broke a record in every event they entered, and Henry Kay (Year 7), a new addition to OCS, who made a stunning debut. Well done to all competitors for their incredible efforts and sportsmanship!

What’s Coming Up?

🚨 Zone Swimming Carnival – February 21st: Our next big event is just around the corner! We will be seeking expressions of interest for CIS qualification times in the coming weeks for students competing beyond school at a representative level.

⚽ Parkes Zone Soccer Gala Day – May 7th (Term 2): Start preparing your teams, as this fantastic event is locked in and sure to be a highlight of the year.

🏅 CSSA Representative Sport: We will also be seeking expressions of interest for various CSSA sports, including water polo, tennis, and more. Stay connected via our Sports Facebook Page and the school newsletter for details.

Celebrating Our Sporting Stars in 2025!

At OCS, we love to celebrate the achievements of our students—both in and beyond school competitions. If you have any photos or stories of students excelling in sport outside of school, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out via the school email so we can acknowledge and encourage our young athletes.

With so much happening already, it’s clear that 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for sport at OCS! We are SUPER excited to see our students shine, glorifying God through their gifts and talents.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23

Let’s keep training, competing, and celebrating all that God is doing through sport at OCS!