Letter from the Principal
Building community and partnership through our Association
Our Association is made up of dedicated and servant hearted Christian families who care deeply about our school. At our recent meeting (6 Nov), the Association met together to hear about the school’s highlights and challenges and some key plans for next year around Christ-centred education and Digital Wellbeing. There was also an update on the school’s financial position and where the spending was being allocated. Such transparency regarding strategic directions and financial considerations builds trust, greater accountability and sense of partnership. I am thankful for the Association, for their involvement, engagement, prayers, and support. I am also thankful for our Board members who give up their precious time to shape the school’s culture. The Association is a wonderful way to build community, get involved with the school, fellowship with one another, and build on the unity we all share in Christ Jesus. If you are interested in joining the Association, please pick up an application pack or email Chris Cameron (Business Manager) for more information.
Wonderful celebration
On Wednesday (12 Nov), we celebrated a key milestone for our Year 10s. My thanks to Mel Collins (Head of Secondary) and her team for putting together a wonderful evening under the stars. The occasion was fitting to acknowledge the completion of Stage 5, to impart our blessing on those who were leaving and to prepare our Year 10s as they move onto senior course work. Please pray for our incoming Stage 6 students who will be attending Rite of Passage (13-14 Nov) camp. May that time be used to build friendships, be equipped to tackle the rigour of Stage 6, and importantly to grow in their faith. I want to thank our student leaders who MC’d beautifully that evening, in particular Gabe Weaver who prayed for the cohort. The gathering was moved by his heartfelt prayer, which expressed a genuine desire for the cohort to know God’s love and be full of hope.
Staffing updates
It is with some sadness that I share the news of some recent resignations. Mariah Harris has been offered a full-time position at a local primary school. It is year group of her choice, and it is a wonderful opportunity for Mariah as she seeks to teach full time. We will miss Mariah’s joyful presence and passion for Indigenous Support as well as her day in kindergarten. Mariah has also enjoyed her time in Prep, and now that she has completed her studies, she is looking forward to working in a Primary setting. Mariah looks forward to continuing her partnership with the school as a parent. Adam Osborn is well known to the school community for his involvement as Chaplain, Academic Support Officer, and as leader of Active Kids Club. Adam has recently completed a degree in Psychology and has taken a role as Counsellor (full time) in a neighbouring school. This has been a passion of Adam’s for some time, and we share in his joy and the wonderful opportunity for him to share his gifts and speak life and hope to young people he cares so deeply about. OCS has been an integral part of Adam’s life for many years. He deeply appreciates the sense of purpose, community, and belonging he has experienced here at OCS. Adrian Lee has had a long association with the School and has held numerous leadership positions. Adrian is an experienced senior English teacher and was at one time the Head of Middle School, Director of Student Development, KLA Coordinator for English/HSIE, and Stage and Career Coordinator. These positions reflect not only his versatility, expertise, and depth of experience but also his commitment to our Christ Centred culture within our school. Mariah, Adam and Adrian’s hospitality and servant hearted approach have been evident in all their involvement at school. Though we will greatly miss them, we also are excited for them as they step into new roles, and opportunities. Please pray that we find suitable people to fill these big shoes and for God to give the school wisdom in selecting the right people for the right role, all for His glory.
Coming up at OCS…
We are halfway through Term 4!
Deputy’s Report
Partnering in Your Child’s Education
At our school, we believe that education is most powerful when parents and teachers work together. That the school supports the work that parents are involved in at home. And your involvement not only strengthens your child’s learning but also nurtures their sense of belonging and faith. Simple actions, such as attending school events, engaging in conversations about learning at home, and joining in prayer and community events make a lasting impact.
We warmly invite you to our Prayer and Praise Morning on Friday of Week 7 from 8:30am in the Learning Hub. This is a special opportunity to gather as a community, pray and celebrate God’s goodness together. This is a strong reminder that at our school faith and learning go hand in hand, and that they are supported by a strong prayerful community.
From the Head of Primary
I am delighted to announce our 2026 Primary School Captains: Olivia Brown and Jacob Price, and our Vice Captains: Sawyer Brodie and Archie Nelson. These students participated in a thorough leadership selection process, which included submitting a written application, an interview with Mr Nathan Gray and myself, staff and student input, and presenting a leadership speech to Stage 3.
This is a strong and impressive team, and we are confident they will be exceptional leaders for our Primary School. The House Captains, Values Leaders and Term 1 Assistant House Leaders will be announced in due course.
From the Head of Secondary
Rite of Passage this Week
It was wonderful to celebrate Year 10 this week at their Year 10 Celebration Dinner before heading off to our Stage 6 Rite of Passage Camp. Reflecting on Day 1 of camp, Emily beautifully captured the heart of our captains’ talks: “We are defined by the God who chose and loved us!” What an important reminder for all of us.
Looking ahead, Year 7 Orientation Day on Wednesday, 19 November, followed by the significant milestone of Year 12 Graduation on Thursday, 20 November. A week of celebration and growth awaits!
Introducing – Mr Andrew Drummond
Orange Christian School’s new Wellbeing Coordinator
This term, Orange Christian School is excited to continue strengthening our commitment to the social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing of our students. With the introduction of our new School Nurse in the previous newsletter, and the appointment of Mr Andrew Drummond as our new Wellbeing Coordinator, we are building a more proactive, holistic and supportive approach to caring for every child from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Andrew joins OCS with a deep passion for supporting young people as they navigate life’s challenges. He shared that what drew him to the role was the opportunity to walk alongside students in a Christian environment where wellbeing is seen as proactive, not reactive.
“I love that the school has a real focus on proactive support—providing knowledge and skills before the challenges arise so students are equipped to walk confidently through life.”
For Andrew, genuine wellbeing is built on two key pillars: belonging and value.
“When young people know they are cared for, they fit in, and they are part of a community, they are mentally stronger and can live with purpose.”
This strong sense of community is central to Andrew’s vision for OCS. His goal is to support, strengthen and coordinate the many wellbeing initiatives already happening across the school, ensuring a clear, cohesive and purposeful approach from K–12.
“There’s already great work happening in this space and really great people. With a bit of strategic polish, we can enhance the work and create an even stronger community.”
Andrew brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as a Wellbeing Coordinator in multiple schools, studied Youth Work at TAFE, and most recently worked in the youth homelessness sector. His Christian faith has shaped his desire to invest deeply in young people, a conviction that began in his own school years.
Outside of school, you’ll often find him unwinding at Ophir—off-grid and surrounded by God’s creation.
When asked what advice he would offer students about looking after their wellbeing, Andrew kept it simple and grounded in faith:
“Our wellbeing is at its best when we go through life anchored in Christ and walking with a God-focused purpose.”
We are thankful for the expertise and heart that Andrew and the Wellbeing team will bring to the care of our students. Together, they will help ensure that every young person at OCS feels supported, known, and encouraged to grow into the person God has called them to be.
Message from the English/HSIE KLA Coordinators
At OCS, we believe that the most powerful learning happens when school and home work together, and nowhere is this more evident than in the simple act of reading. Whether it’s a Bible verse, a novel, or a news article, reading opens windows into other worlds, fosters empathy, and strengthens critical thinking. And it’s one of the most effective ways parents can partner with us in their child’s learning journey.
Research consistently shows the benefits of regular reading. According to the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), students who read for pleasure just once or twice a week consistently outperform their peers who rarely read outside of school, and those who read daily make the strongest gains in comprehension and critical thinking. Studies by the OECD (2019) also highlight that reading for enjoyment is a stronger predictor of academic success than a family’s socioeconomic background. The more our young people read, the more confident and capable they become.
This year in English, we’ve created opportunities for Year 7 – 10 students to read for challenge, interest and enjoyment. Stage 4 students have embraced the Reading Bingo Challenge, discovering new genres and authors. Stage 5 students have enjoyed dedicated wide reading lessons every fortnight, exploring texts of personal interest and capturing Book Snaps! (Visual reflections on passages that resonate with them.)
Beyond the classroom, we encourage parents to partner with us in nurturing a love of reading among our students. Talk about books at home — ask your child what they’re reading, discuss the characters or situations they’re encountering, recommend a book you loved when you were young, or even read alongside them. To support you, we’ve put together a list of resources and ideas to help cultivate a love of reading at home:
- Your Kid’s Next Read podcast focuses on books and reading for children of all ages.
- Browse Australian award short-lists: for example, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year shortlists
- ‘Shelftalkers’ is a platform for young people to share book reviews with their peers
- Orange City Library has a book club, ‘Inklings’, for 7-12 year olds
- Good Reads allows users to track, review, and recommend books
From the Director of Prep
Our Prep children recently had a wonderful time during the Kindergarten Orientation. They spent Monday and Wednesday morning in the kindergarten rooms engaging in activities, familiarizing themselves and getting to know what to expect next year. They returned to Prep full of smiles and excitement and looking forward to kindergarten at OCS next year.
We were also privileged to welcome Aunty Ky to Prep, who shared her Aboriginal culture with the children. Aunty Ky captivated the children with a traditional story, dance, and guided a creative craft activity. It was a wonderful opportunity for our children to learn, celebrate, and connect with First Nations culture.
Sport Spot
The good news keeps coming!
In more exciting news from our OCS soccer stars Hugh Rosser in Year 6 has been also selected to fly to Spain as part of the Barça Football (Soccer) Academy! As a top-performing player from the Barça Academy Spring Camps held in Orange during the school holidays, Hugh stood out for his coachability, decision making, ball possession and unique style of play and has been chosen to travel as part of the Junior Boys Squad touring Barcelona in May 2026. During this once-in-a-lifetime experience, Hugh will:
– Train at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper,
– Compete against international teams,
– Experience daily life as an FC Barcelona player, and
– Attend an official match at Spotify Camp Nou Stadium, among a host of other incredible opportunities. We wish Hugh all the very best for this amazing experience — what an amazing testimony of his God-given gifts, refined through dedication and talent.
The 2025 TAP (Talented Athlete Program) is fast drawing to a close, and it has been an amazing year of many outstanding achievements for our athletes. Next week these students will come together for their end of year outing where the 2025 Top TAP Male and Female athletes will be announced. Stay tuned for the next newsletter where we will recap the year that was TAP 2025.
Update: The 2026 TAP applications have now closed, and we will be selecting our 2026 squad over the coming weeks. Students and their parents will be contacted about placement in the program.
