Principal’s Address
Community engagement
The School was delighted to welcome families and friends to two significant community events recently: our Book Week Parade and Father’s Day Breakfast.
These occasions provide wonderful opportunities for families to share in the life of the School and to celebrate alongside their children. The Book Week parade was a particular highlight, with students enthusiastically dressing up as characters from their favourite books and bringing stories to life through their creativity and imagination. I am always amazed at the costumes that are on display! A joyful atmosphere filled the Assembly as students and staff participated together with the annual staff play, and audience participation in a fun ‘guess the book character’ mime game.
While we celebrate the joy and importance of reading, we also encourage our School community to engage with the most important book of all, the Bible. The Bible contains God’s words and tells us the wonderful story of His love for us through the life of Jesus and what He has done for us. For families who do not own a Bible and missed out on the complimentary copies at the end of the Assembly are available in the Reception Foyer. Please feel free to take one anytime.
Our Father’s Day Breakfast was another wonderful community event, with many families gathering to enjoy breakfast together and admire the impressive display of cars from Gnoo Blas Car Club. Father’s Day provides a special opportunity to recognise and celebrate the important role fathers and father figures play within families, churches, workplaces, and the wider community. We also acknowledge that Father’s Day can be a difficult time for some members of our community, particularly where experiences of fatherhood have been challenging or marked by loss. At such times, we are reminded of our Heavenly Father, who is perfect in His love, care, and faithfulness toward us.
As we look ahead, we ask our School community to continue praying for our upcoming events such as the Association Meeting about the Constitution, camps, for our Year 12 students as they prepare for their HSC examinations, and for those within our community who are currently facing illness and health challenges.
Acting Head of Secondary
As we approach the end of term and look ahead to a busy start to next term, we encourage families to take note of several important events and opportunities for our students.
Stage 4 Camp
Students in Years 7 and 8 will be participating in the Stage 4 Camp early next term. Camps provide an invaluable opportunity for students to build friendships, develop resilience, challenge themselves outside the classroom, and strengthen their sense of belonging within our school community. Further information regarding dates, packing requirements, and departure details will be provided to families shortly.
Year 9 Urban Challenge
Our Year 9 students are currently on their Urban Challenge experience. This unique program encourages students to develop problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, and independence as they navigate a range of real-world challenges in an urban environment. We look forward to seeing our students embrace this exciting opportunity for personal growth.
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 10 students are currently undertaking Work Experience also an important step in exploring future career pathways and developing workplace skills. We encourage students to make the most of this experience by demonstrating initiative, professionalism, and a willingness to learn. We thank local businesses and organisations who support our students through this valuable program.
R U OK? Day
On Wednesday 2 September, acknowledged R U OK? Day, a national initiative that encourages meaningful conversations and supports positive mental wellbeing. Students wore yellow accessories (socks, hair ribbon, wrist bands) with their school uniforms as a visible reminder that a simple conversation can make a significant difference in someone’s life. We encourage all members of our community to take the opportunity to ask, listen, and connect with those around them.
Head of Primary
This term, students across both Primary and Secondary have been participating in our school-wide OCS Way initiative. In Primary, each week’s focus is introduced at our Monday Morning Meeting before being explored more deeply in classrooms throughout the week. Recently, students have been reflecting on how their words can encourage and build others up, as well as the importance of helping everyone feel included and valued. In the coming weeks, students will be considering how they can care for our school environment, make safe choices in the playground, and use technology wisely as responsible digital citizens. It has been encouraging to see a shared language and set of expectations developing across the school as students learn what it means to live out our CHRIST values each day.
Our annual Prep to Year 6 Book Parade, Picnic and Book Stall was a wonderful celebration of reading. It was fantastic to see so many parents, carers and grandparents join us for the morning. Students proudly showcased their book character costumes, and the book stall supported by Collins Booksellers was a great success, with many books finding new homes. Thank you to our families for helping make the event such a memorable occasion.
Prep
We are pleased to share that Prep was successful in securing the Health and Development funding made possible by the NSW Department of Education. This funding provides valuable opportunities to further strengthen teaching practice and support student wellbeing. As part of this initiative, Prep educators participated in three professional learning sessions during our Professional Development Week: Brain Development and Dysregulation in Children presented by Seed Paediatric Services, Speech and Language in the Early Childhood Classroom presented by Claire Davis Speech Pathology and Anxiety in Children presented by Clinical Paediatric Psychologist Laura Calvert. These sessions offered educators evidence-based knowledge and practical strategies to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing. The professional learning has deepened our understanding of how children develop, communicate and regulate, while equipping staff with tools that can be applied directly in the classroom. The funding has also enabled us to provide Health and Development Checks for our Prep children this term. Together, these opportunities are enhancing our ability to respond to children’s individual needs, strengthen partnerships with families and create positive learning experiences for every child. By investing in both educator learning and early intervention, we are building a strong foundation for children to thrive throughout their educational journey.
On Wednesday, the staff in Prep celebrated Early childhood Educator’s Day. This is a celebration dedicated to recognising and appreciating the incredible work, dedication and positive impact of our early childhood educators.
Sport
Congratulations to Jacob Price, Ainslie Culbert and Ruben Moss, who have all qualified to compete at the CIS Primary Athletics Championships. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to their hard work, dedication and athletic ability.
A special congratulations goes to Jacob Price, who was awarded Age Champion at last week’s CSSA State Primary Athletics Championships. We wish Jacob, Ainslie and Ruben all the very best as they represent our school at CIS and look forward to following their continued success.