In the Junior School this term we have continued to work through understanding the skills and language taught in the URStrong program, including what it means to be self-compassionate, compassionate to others and resilient within ourselves and in friendships. We have used some episodes of Bluey to illustrate examples of self-compassion and resilience, recently watching the episode, ‘Bike’. When we talk about self-compassion we tell the students that it involves being a best friend to ourselves; learning how to make healthy and helpful choices, and speaking to ourselves in a compassionate way. While the episode, ‘Bike’ is hilarious, it’s also a great demonstration of resilience because it involves characters being disciplined enough to keep going, as well as knowing when to take a break to calm themselves, so they could problem-solve and find the mindset needed to persevere to reach their goal. We highly recommend you watch it with your children and discuss what it means to be self-compassionate and resilient in everyday life.

The Senior School will be practising resilience in many ways as they prepare for and sit exams, or head off on one of our four exciting and challenging camps. We pray that their time away will be fun, safe and encourage growth in their friendships and relationships with their teachers. The Friday at home will hopefully be a time for students in Years 7 - 10 (and camp staff) to show themselves some self-compassion and rest.

If your child has a phone or a smart watch they bring or wear at school, please be aware that OAGS policy states that phones are not to be active or used during the school day. They are the responsibility of the students and must be kept switched off or on ‘aeroplane mode’ during the school day. This includes before school supervision (from 8 am daily) and at bus lines or greet and go. Smart watches may be worn, however your child must know how to set it to ‘aeroplane mode’ during the school day. If parents or family members need to contact students, please call Student Services and Becky will relay your message to them.

We would like to praise and thank Mrs Sandy Taylor, who has blessed our school with her expertise, support and Godly perspective during her time as our School Counsellor. We have been greatly encouraged and learned a lot from working with Sandy, as have many of our colleagues. We are grateful for her enthusiastic advocacy for the URStrong program, teaching us about temperaments vs personalities, the importance of regulation strategies, her practical advice for managing anxiety, as well as when to seek some additional support. Sandy talks about emotions being like a wave, and when some of us have been riding very difficult waves she has been a great source of wisdom and empathy. Sandy will be missed by many people in our community! We wish Sandy all the best as she moves to working in a different counselling setting, and we are sure they will value and benefit working with her.

Georgina Willis, Jocelyn Kimmins and Armand Van der Merwe

Leaders of Pastoral Care

During 2026, each class will commit to hosting one Learning Showcase for parents and carers where they are invited into the classroom to observe and participate in everyday learning experiences. This provides families with an authentic insight into the learning that occurs each day, building understanding for the work that takes place in our classrooms. An additional benefit is that students are given a meaningful audience with whom they can share and celebrate their learning.

A Learning Showcase is not intended to be a performance, production, or special event that sits outside normal classroom practice. Rather, it should reflect regular, day-to-day learning, allowing parents to experience what a typical school day looks like for their child.

This week, we were pleased to host our first Prep Learning Showcase. Parents, grandparents and friends of our Prep students participated in a PreLit lesson, where students showcased their understanding of initial sounds. They read a story together and concluded the morning by decorating biscuits and having morning tea in the Prep playground. A big thank you to Mr Bornen, Miss Baldry, Mrs Gersbach and Miss Burridge for hosting a wonderful celebration of the learning that has been taking place in our Prep classrooms. We look forward to the remaining Learning Showcases that will take place over the course of the year.

Congratulations to all the students in Years 3 - 6 who have written and presented a speech this term as part of the CWA Public Speaking Competition. It has been a real privilege to listen to all these speeches about a range of topics. I was impressed with the students’ determination and confidence. Congratulations to the following students who have made it through to the competition taking place at the CWA hall in Week 6: Ella L, Bowie M, Becky J, Rafael O, Tim D, Genevieve W and Tori I.

Alice Glyde

Head of Junior School

Year 12 students were recently invited to attend “FACTS Day” at Charles Sturt University (CSU), where we were given the opportunity to explore different pathways after school. We started the day by walking around a range of stalls and hearing from different universities about what they had to offer. This gave us a better understanding of courses, campus life, and future options, and allowed us to ask personal questions in a supportive environment.

The second part of the day involved a lecture from UAC, where we were guided through the stages of the HSC and the process of applying for university. They also spoke about scholarships and early admission opportunities, which many students found especially helpful. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and informative day for all Year 12 students who attended, providing valuable insight into the next steps beyond school.

Luke Brown

Year 12 School Captain

On Tuesday the 12th of May, a small group (20 students) of us seniors had the opportunity to travel to Charles Sturt University for the Orange Health and Community Service Explore Day. We were able to hear from a number of professionals in different sectors within the health industry to learn about their jobs, including what they do on a day to day basis and the pathways to get there. Each of us were able to choose two sessions throughout the day, ranging from paramedicine to dentistry to psychology to allied health and much more! In these lessons, we got to learn about the professions through both practical and theory based experiences, giving us insights into the wide range of possibilities available to us in the near future. Following this, we were treated to a wonderful lunch then got to explore a range of stalls provided by different businesses and organisations based here in Orange. They provided us with copious amounts of information to assist us in our future endeavours and helpfully answered any questions we asked. In addition to this, we listened to student speakers from Charles Sturt who gave us advice and direction on the ins and outs of university life. Overall, we, alongside our peers, greatly enjoyed the day and learnt a lot from the experience.

Zara Singh and Elizabeth Fuller

Year 11 Students

This term in Secondary Chapel, we have been looking at Compassion. Exploring what compassion means, why we show compassion, and who we show compassion to. We were reminded to show compassion in the way of Jesus: to anyone and everyone (friend, foe, familiar); for the benefit of others; and to display the character and power of God.

This is all in the lead up to Compassion Day which we’ll celebrate on Wednesday, May 27th . It will provide an opportunity for us as a school community to continue partnering with the organisation, Compassion, as we raise money for our sponsor child Dave living in the Philippines.

BAKED GOODS will be on sale in the first break ($0.50-$4) and fresh POPCORN on sale in the second break ($3 a bag) on the day under the hangar. This is a fantastic opportunity for the students of OAGS to practice generosity and compassion to a family in need.

This week our infants chapel welcomed the team from QuizWorx for a very special live performance. Through the very engaging and action packed puppetry show, the clear message of “anyone, everyone can be in the family of God.” The time was full of fun, laughter and meaningful learning for our Prep to Stage 1 students.

Our school community was recently transported to the whimsical world of inventions and candy factories as we staged our spectacular production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Across four unforgettable nights, the stage came alive with a breathtaking display of music, dance, and drama that left audiences soaring.

This production was a monumental team effort, featuring a powerhouse cast and crew of 80 dedicated students. From the energetic choreography of the ensemble to the technical precision required to make a car "fly," our students displayed professional-level commitment and heart. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the tireless guidance of our 10 staff members, who spent countless hours behind the scenes ensuring every note was perfect and every costume was stitched to perfection. Congratulations to Mrs Schuil (Director) and Mr Annett (Musical Director) for their roles!

The atmosphere in the theatre was electric, and the feedback from parents, friends, and local community members has been nothing short of glowing. Whether it was the villainous antics of the Childcatcher or the heartwarming bond of the Potts family, our performers truly captured the magic of this classic tale.

A massive congratulations to everyone involved for such a high-caliber performance. You made us all proud! While the curtain has closed on the Vulgarian Empire, the memories will last a lifetime. We are already counting down the days until our next big adventure!

Jonathan Clipsham - Producer

Due to the running of the Secondary Camps next week there will be no band, choir or strings rehearsals in the Senior School. Junior Band and Beginner Band will not be on due to Mr Annett’s absence.

Junior school groups such as Strings and Little Songbirds will run as usual.

All music ensembles will resume in Week 6 at their usual times.

We recently held Sports Assemblies to acknowledge the effort and achievements of our students across the Athletics and Cross Country seasons. It was a great opportunity to get the school together and present awards to those who performed well and showed great house spirit.

A major highlight of the assembly was the presentation of the Champion and Reserve Champion pennants for both Athletics and Cross Country. These awards recognise the top performing students in each age group who showed impressive consistency throughout their events. We also celebrated our Athletics record breakers, with certificates handed out to the seven students who set new school benchmarks this year. A special mention goes to Milla J, who had an outstanding carnival and came incredibly close to breaking the record in nearly every event she entered.

The House competition was closely contested this year, with different houses taking the honors across the various carnivals. Bandhaa took out the Senior Athletics title, while Dinawan showed their strength in distance and track by winning both the Senior Cross Country and Junior Athletics trophies. The Junior Cross Country winning house was [Insert Winning House].

Congratulations to all our individual award winners and to every student who participated to earn points for their house.

On April 25, 2026, 252 Army Cadet Unit (ACU) marked ANZAC Day with an exceptional turnout. The unit's professional dress and bearing during the march were highlights of the day, earning high praise from both the public and members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Key Highlights:

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise and thank her for the quiet but meaningful contribution she makes to our community every single day.

Nancy is a familiar and much-loved sight along the path near the school, where she can often be seen out walking in the morning sunshine, collecting roadside rubbish and helping to keep the area clean and welcoming for everyone. Just as importantly, she always greets students warmly as they walk past, brightening many mornings with her friendly smile and cheerful hello.

Recently, we stopped to say thank you and enjoyed a lovely chat with Nancy in the sunshine. Her kindness, community spirit, and dedication are truly inspiring.

Nancy reminds us that small acts of care can make a big difference. On behalf of the whole community, thank you, Nancy, for the warmth and positivity you bring to our neighbourhood. We wish you a very happy 95th birthday in August and many more sunny morning walks ahead.

Football NSW will be running a Foundation of Football course in Dubbo on Sunday 28th of June 8am to 5pm at Victoria Park, Dubbo.

The Course will be facilitated by Player Development Manager for Goalkeeping at FNSW Bryce Deaton.

The course will conflict with other football events within the Western Branch and this unavoidable no matter when it is scheduled, however this a fantastic opportunity for coaches to learn the fundamentals of Goalkeeping or further their existing knowledge.

Aimed at coaches, parents and volunteers who work with or intend to work with non-professional goalkeepers of any age. The course modules focus on building goalkeeper knowledge while learning how to conduct basic practices that are engaging and inclusive.

This course is Football Australia’s first level of goalkeeper coaching accreditation and a prerequisite for the Goalkeeping B Diploma.

The Foundation of Goalkeeping qualification is valid for three (3) years and is subject to licence revalidation. Licence Revalidation | Play Football

Full attendance is required. Failure to attend the full course will result in registration being removed.

https://learn.footballaustralia.com.au/training/index.cfm?event=event.assessment.view&eventId=69fc052b46965b0019521ff9