Thank you to everyone who came to our Meet the Teacher and Dedication Service, we loved meeting and chatting with you and dedicating our school year to the Lord together!

Across our school, from Kindergarten to Year 12, we are committed to nurturing academic growth as part of our broader vision for Christian education. We believe each child is uniquely created by God with purpose and potential, and our role is to support their development academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Growth is therefore not simply about grades, marks or outcomes, but about shaping character, cultivating wisdom and encouraging each student to pursue excellence in light of who God has created them to be.

As students continue to settle into classroom routines, the foundations for growth are strengthened. In our K–6 classrooms, this may look like building strong literacy and numeracy habits, learning to persevere through challenges, and developing independence and responsibility. In Secondary, academic rigour increases as students engage more deeply with subject content, respond thoughtfully to feedback and manage greater responsibility in their learning. Across all year levels, rigour means purposeful challenge, learning that stretches students appropriately and calls them to give their best.

This time of year is a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and consider setting personal academic goals. Whether done formally in class or through individual reflection, goal setting helps students focus their efforts and measure progress over time. Importantly, growth is not about comparison. The most meaningful competition is with ourselves, striving to improve on yesterday’s effort, habits and results. When students focus on their own development rather than comparing themselves with others, they build resilience, confidence and a healthy approach to achievement.

Engagement beyond lesson time also plays a significant role in holistic growth. Completing homework with care, reading widely and preparing thoughtfully for assessments all strengthen learning. Co-curricular opportunities further enrich this journey. It has been exciting to see so many students join our dance program and music ensembles, which began rehearsals this week. These experiences build discipline, teamwork and confidence, while allowing students to develop their interests and talents within a supportive community.

We greatly value our partnership with families in this process. Conversations at home about effort, organisation and perseverance reinforce what is happening at school. Together, we can encourage our students to pursue steady improvement, take responsibility for their learning, and continue growing into the young people God has created them to be.

We are calling on parents, grandparents and caregivers to join our Reading Army, a wonderful opportunity to support our young readers.
This program was launched last year, and we are so grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support this important initiative. Your involvement made a real difference, and we are excited to build on that again this year.
By volunteering to listen to students read, you will be helping to grow their confidence, fluency and love of reading. Reading aloud is a crucial part of literacy development, and having extra listening ears means more students get the practice and encouragement they need.
The Reading Army will initially support students in Years 1 to 6, with Kindergarten joining the program later in the year. Whether you can commit weekly or just occasionally, your time will be greatly valued and appreciated.
If you would like to be part of this rewarding experience, please complete the form via the link or QR code below, or contact me directly. We would love to have you join the Reading Army!   
https://forms.office.com/r/DaafHAg1Yh

Along with the new staff introduced in the last newsletter, we’d also love you to meet Ms Heather Gardner of class 3/4G. Ms Gardner spent the first little bit of term returning from a Mission trip overseas. We’re very happy that she’s here, that her class have gotten to meet her and she’s getting to know our community! Welcome Ms Gardner.

As we settle into the rhythm of the new school year, it’s worth pausing to reflect on one of our core school values: Humility. This theme was central to our staff professional development week in January, where we explored what humility looks like in practice, both in the classroom and in the wider life of our school.

Humility is often misunderstood. Some hear the word and think it asks us to shrink back, to downplay our gifts, or to approach life timidly. But true humility is far richer and far more lifegiving. C.S. Lewis captures it beautifully when he writes:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”

This perspective realigns humility not as self-doubt, but as self-forgetfulness, an intentional shift away from ego and toward others, toward gratitude, toward a posture of openness and growth.

Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14) reminds us of the heart of humility. The Pharisee stands tall, confident in his own righteousness, listing his achievements and comparing himself to others. The tax collector stands at a distance, acknowledging his need for God’s grace.

It is the tax collector, not the seemingly accomplished Pharisee, who leaves justified.

The parable challenges us to consider:

Do we find ourselves seeking recognition, or seeking understanding?

Do our successes become reasons to compare, or reasons to give thanks?

Do we approach others ready to learn, or ready to judge?

Humility invites us to step away from comparison and toward compassion.

May our classrooms be places where students feel safe to question, where success is celebrated without arrogance, and where growth is pursued without fear. And may we model for our students the kind of humility that strengthens character and deepens community.

One of the key roles of the Wellbeing Team is to help reduce barriers that are preventing students from accessing their learning. While we can’t always remove these barriers completely, we can support students to navigate through challenges and pray with and for them. We encourage our students and parents to let us know if there are difficult life circumstances, including disruptions to home life or mental health challenges, so that we can consider how we best support each student to do their best in the circumstances they’re dealt.

In our first week back to school, we had a number of ‘Readiness’ sessions with Year 7, helping them to settle into Secondary School and understand how school operates and what’s expected of them. Students met some key support staff, School Captains, and of course each other. Year 10 students who volunteered to be Peer Support Leaders were involved in the week, showing Year 7 students the ropes and also running small group sessions focused on relationship building. Our Peer Support program will continue in our Pastoral Care time slot on Friday Week B for the remainder of the term to continue building connections and providing support to our Year 7 students.

My name is Cat Pankhurst (you may know me as Mrs Buckerfield), and I have taken over the Careers Adviser position at OCS, along with Stage Coordinator for Years 10, 11 and 12. I’m so excited to begin this journey with you and your child in what will become some of the most important years of their schooling.

My goal is to work in partnership with your child and you, to ensure that together, we build a clear and personalised school goals and career pathway.

The aim is to help OCS students build a meaningful future by guiding them through four key stages of career development:

• Know Yourself – Discover your strengths, interests, and values
• Explore Options – Learn about careers, industries, and study pathways
• Gain Experience – Build skills through hands-on learning and opportunities
• Take Action – Apply for courses, jobs, or training and prepare for life beyond school

At OCS we believe that just as every student is uniquely gifted with God-given talents and capabilities, each one deserves a personalised pathway that honours and respects who they are.

There are some exciting experiences coming up on the calendar for our Senior students:

• University of Newcastle Parent & Carers Info Session: Tuesday 17^th March at the Orange Ex Services Club 5.30pm – 7.30pm.
• RYDA is a one-day road safety education program for the Youth of Orange. Students attend six interactive sessions over the course of the day delivered by road safety experts. Thursday 12^th March – during school hours
• FACTS Day: This provides Yr 12 students the opportunity to learn more about post school options, Universities and other pathway ideas, including University Application Centre (UAC) or Training Services NSW. Friday May 1^st – during school hours

Our 2026 swimming carnival was a tremendous success, with outstanding participation, vibrant team spirit, and plenty of memorable performances from our students.

A huge well done to the outstanding swimmers who not only gave their all in the pool, but also set new OCS records at this year’s carnival.

Record Breakers:
 • Izzie: 8-10 Years 50m Butterfly
 • Phoebe: 11 Years 200IM, 100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle & 50m Butterfly
 • Lydia: 11 Years 50m Breaststroke
 • George: 13 Years 50m Breaststroke
 • Riley: 17 Years 50m Freestyle & 50m Backstroke

Relay Champions:
 Congratulations to Charlie, Jacob, Anthony & Andrew for breaking the record in the 11–13 Years Primary 4×50 Relay.

It was a fantastic day of competition and community, and a huge thank you to all staff, students, and volunteers who helped make the event such a success.