It has been a great pleasure to arrive in Orange and discover first hand the positive culture and ‘vibe’ of OAGS. The ethos and focus of the school is something in which I admire and support. That every student is known by and precious to a loving God is powerful and great news.

I am also a very strong advocate for regional education and providing best opportunities academically, sporting wise and culturally for students. The children and staff have been great and I am looking forward to getting to know the community in months to come.

First impressions are positive and I was ‘bowled over’ last night by the quality of the musical and  so encourage anyone and everyone to get to one of the performances - Don't miss out!

Thank you for your welcome and I look forward to immersing myself into the school and meeting parents and friends of the school in the weeks and months to come. Please come and say ‘Hi’.

David Smith

Interim Deputy Head

The Junior School years are a formative period for developing the social and emotional foundations that support both academic progress and personal wellbeing. This term, our focus has centred on two vital attributes: collaboration and resilience. Through our Thrive (Personal Development and Health) curriculum, we are teaching students that these are not merely innate personality traits, but skills that can be practised and strengthened. By utilising the URStrong program, we are helping students understand that the way they lead themselves directly impacts how they lead and interact with those around them.

A central theme of our recent lessons is the idea that leadership begins with self-compassion. We have been discussing the importance of being kind to oneself as a prerequisite for being kind to others. When a student learns to manage their own frustrations and treat their own mistakes with patience, they become better equipped to offer that same empathy to their peers. This internal "self-leadership" allows for more stable and supportive friendships, as students learn to regulate their emotions rather than reacting impulsively when challenges arise in a social setting.

This philosophy was put into practice recently as students began creating their own games together. The task was intentionally designed to test their social endurance and collective problem-solving. Each group had to design a game that was fun and safe, yet contained an element of genuine difficulty. We purposefully introduced the idea that a good game should be somewhat frustrating and difficult. This frustration serves a specific educational purpose, providing a controlled environment for students to practise emotional regulation. We want them to experience the friction of a difficult task so they can learn how to navigate it effectively.

Throughout this process, we have encouraged a "have a go, rest, and return" approach. When students hit a barrier or a disagreement occurs (like in a ‘Friendship Fire’, they are taught to acknowledge the difficulty, take a momentary step back to reset, and then return to the task with a renewed focus. It has been encouraging to observe the students moving away from abandoning a project when a design fails, instead choosing to support one another and iterate on their ideas. By encouraging each other to keep going through these difficult moments, they are learning that persistence is a shared responsibility and that collective success is often the result of mutual support.

Alice Glyde (Head of Junior School) and Georgina Willis (Leader of Junior School Pastoral Care)

This term in Chapel our Primary students are working through the New Testament book of Ephesians thinking about what it looks like to have lives transformed by Jesus: learning how his love changes our perspective, our actions, and our hearts from the inside out.  The start of the term kicked off with great enthusiasm and energy.

In the Secondary chapel we’ve started reflecting on the place of compassion in our world and in our school. We’re hoping this will be a really practical series providing opportunities to demonstrate compassion in our school community, the wider Orange area, and throughout the world.

In week 6 our CRU groups are excited about hosting a COMPASSION DAY on the 27th May , where we as a school will be raising money to support our Sponsor child, Dave from Indonesia, through the organisation, Compassion . There will be an opportunity to pre-order food through flexischools and to purchase popcorn on the day. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to see how their small contributions combine to make a massive difference in Dave’s life and community.

There’s a lot going on this term for the whole school community. Please continue praying with us as we uphold our school and commit the term ahead to our great God!

Last Term, Year 6 were engaging with the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. Students learned how God's spirit helps us to understand his word, and to point us to Jesus. As part of our class activities, students were asked to create a paper aeroplane, blindfolded, only using the verbal cues of their partners. As you might imagine, there were many interesting creations!

It’s Show Week, and the excitement is building! Our students are ready to light up the stage, and we couldn’t be more proud of the hard work, creativity, and energy they’ve poured into this performance.

Tickets are still available now at fantastic family-friendly prices, so bring everyone along and be part of the fun. We’re looking forward to a lively audience. We want loud cheers, big smiles, and unforgettable moments as our talented students shine.

Thank you goes out to our generous sponsors and our wonderful community for their support .

What a spectacular start to our season! Opening night was a resounding success, filled with incredible energy and talent. Our students truly shone on stage, bringing all their hard work to life.

I am delighted to share some highlights from the evening.

If you haven't secured your seats yet, there are still tickets available for our remaining shows! Use the link below to grab yours before they're all gone:

Orange Civic Theatre bookings

On Thursday Week 1, our Junior School girls participated in the HICES Netball Trials here at OAGS. The girls played 3 intense 20 minute games against Scots All Saints College, Macquarie Anglican Grammar School and Central Coast Grammar School. The girls all displayed great determination against some very tough competition.

Well done to Lexi O, Emma S, Mackenzie H and Heidi S for being selected to play in an extended Possibles and Probables game, which felt like it wouldn’t end due to such a high quality of players to choose from. Congratulations to Heidi S who was selected as a Shadow player for the HICES team.

Emma Davis (MIC of Netball)

Welcome back! It’s looking dry as a chip in the Central West, but the dust hasn't slowed down the ACE. Running livestock teams in these conditions is tough, and we owe a massive thank you to the local legends keeping our animals fed.

Our Local Heroes

A huge shout-out to Furneys Stockfeeds , who have supported us since the program started five years ago. We also couldn't do it without the kindness of MSM Milling and Gilmandyke Pastoral Co .

Because of their support, our Dohne wethers are thriving, gaining an average of 220g per day ! They’ve performed so well that the Australian Dohnes Challenge is visiting next week to use our sheep as a feature for their trial. Our students have done a brilliant job monitoring their growth through weekly weighing and scanning.

Pheasants & Pest Control

In Year 10 Ag, Mitch P has been busy with his ornamental poultry project. He’s managed everything from incubation to raising the birds. While the pheasants are staying at school, we have Guinea Fowl for sale! At $35 each , these are the quietest keets ever. They are amazing for pest control and will even chase snakes away from your garden. Email Mrs. Eyb ([email protected]) to grab yours.

We’re the Champions!

Thanks to everyone who supported us at the Easter Fair —we sold out of gelato and chutney! Most excitingly, our honey was named Champion Honey at the National Honey Show ! Mrs. Eyb is still buzzing from the news. We have a tiny bit of honey and fig & ginger jam left, so get in quick!

Let’s have a great Term 2!