If you were to step into our school during a typical week, you’d see the familiar sights of structured learning. There would be students focused at desks, collaborating on whiteboards, and moving between classes. But some of the most profound growth our students experience happens entirely outside the classroom walls.

As the Pastoral Care team, we often get asked about the true value of our school camp programs. Are they just a fun break from routine? (spoiler: they are incredibly fun!) But, beneath the surface, camps are a vital, intentional pillar of how we care for and develop the whole child.

Here is a glimpse into the values that come to life when our students pack their bags and head into the great outdoors.

It’s one thing to talk about resilience in a lesson; it’s another thing entirely to practice it while navigating a ropes course or dragon boating on a windy lake. Camp pushes students just a step or two outside their comfort zones. Whether it's conquering a fear of heights, or sleeping away from home for the first time, students discover a reservoir of capability they didn't know they had.

In a world dominated by screens, camp offers a rare and beautiful gift: a total digital detox. Without the distraction of social media and notifications, students look each other in the eye. They talk around campfires, share meals, and cooperate to work together to achieve a common goal. We consistently see new friendships blossom and old ones deepen during these shared, unplugged experiences.

The playing field is leveled at camp. The student who excels at traditional academics might find themselves relying on the quiet leadership of a peer who knows how to navigate a map or build a fire. Camp structures require collective effort; no one succeeds unless the whole team succeeds. This builds an enduring culture of empathy and mutual respect that flows right back into our school hallways.

For many students, camp is a major milestone in personal responsibility. Managing their own gear, keeping their cabins tidy, waking up on time, and making healthy food choices at the dining room are all small but significant steps toward independence. They return home standing a little taller, carrying a renewed sense of ownership over themselves.

The magic of camp doesn’t stay at the campsite. The confidence gained from conquering a challenging trail translates into a student raising their hand in a difficult math class. The empathy practiced in a shared cabin transforms how students treat one another in the playground. New connections can be established at camp and friendships may be strengthened and broadened.

We want to extend a massive thank you to our dedicated staff who leave their own families to support our students on these journeys, and to you, our parents and carers, for trusting us with your children as they take these brave steps into growth.

Next time your child comes home from camp exhausted, muddy, and with a bag full of damp clothes, know that inside that backpack is also a wealth of new confidence, deeper friendships, and memories that will shape them for years to come.

Leaders of Pastoral Care

It has been an incredibly busy and exciting term in STEAM for our Prep students! Our mini-scientists have been diving deep into the fascinating world of living and non-living things. Through hands-on exploration, the children have been figuring out exactly what makes something alive, discovering that living things need water, sun and food to grow and thrive.

Our learning started with the plant kingdom. The students became botanical artists, carefully examining and drawing the detailed anatomy of sunflowers and trees. From there, we took our learning outside on some very exciting bug hunts, searching high and low for tiny living creatures in our outdoor environment.

We have also been exploring how living things change and grow, mapping out the life cycles of butterflies and frogs. But the absolute highlight of our term is happening right now inside our classroom!

We currently have chicken eggs nestled safely in our incubator. We are officially on Day 13, and the anticipation is building! The students have turned into real embryologists, learning how to "candle" the eggs using a torch to peek inside and check on the amazing progression of the growing chicks. We are all waiting as patiently as we can for hatching day!

For the remainder of the term, we will be shifting our focus from plants and animals to ourselves. The students will be diving into the human body, exploring anatomy and learning how our incredible bodies work.

We are so proud of the curiosity, observation skills and scientific vocabulary our students are developing. Stay tuned for more updates, and hopefully some news about some fluffy new classroom classmates very soon!

Miss Burridge

STEAM Teacher

The TAS Faculty has seen several exciting developments in our Woodworking, Furnishing, and Engineering subjects recently. The Thunder Laser Bolt Pro 32 timber/laminate laser cutter and the Laguna 25/50 Super Max Drum Sander have been fully installed and are now in service. These pieces, alongside equipment acquired over the last year, elevate our practical learning facilities to a world-class standard. Furthermore, with the introduction of new EDU-Tech laboratory kits for Engineering Studies, our faculty continues to pair rigorous theoretical learning with high-quality, excellent practical applications.

A massive thank you to all the families who contributed to Compassion Week! It was incredibly encouraging to see students, parents, and staff working together to support Compassion Australia , helping to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

It has also been a great joy to read the letters our students have written to our school's sponsor child, Dave. Seeing their genuine love for him as they grapple with how to serve those less fortunate has been incredibly heart-warming.

Thanks to our community partnering together, we raised over $2,300 for the work of Compassion in the Philippines. Thank you for your incredible generosity!

What a vibrant week it has been! Junior School Art Week saw our classrooms transformed into bustling studios of imagination and color. We were thrilled to welcome Mrs. Clipsham, who shared her expertise through specialist lessons in every classroom.

From the tactile rhythm of weaving to the delicate flow of watercolours and the bold textures of collage, students embraced every medium with enthusiasm. Our young artists journeyed through art history, drawing inspiration from masters such as Picasso, Gaudi, Nallametta, and Alison Lester.

Well done to all our students for their incredible creativity, focus, and wonderful masterpieces!

The ACE Crew Crushes It Across the Regional Show Circuit!

Wow, what a whirlwind few weeks it has been for our incredible ACE crew! Between the weekends and after-hours dedication, our ag students have been living out of suitcases, traveling across the region to represent Orange Anglican Grammar School at the Bathurst Royal, Orange, and Yeoval Shows.

The competition was fierce, but our students proved beyond a doubt that OAGS is home to some of the region's leading young agriculturalists. Check out these amazing highlights from the show circuit!

Royal Results at the Bathurst Royal Show

The Bathurst Royal Show is always a massive event, and our Cattle Team absolutely brought their A-game. Not only did they dominate the junior divisions, but they also took home the big ones: Grand and Supreme Shorthorn Female with the superstar heifer, The Trap Valentina !. To top it off, OAGS was awarded the highly coveted WC Traenor Most Successful Shorthorn Exhibitor shield.

A huge shout-out goes to Flynn B, Isobel H, Ruby G, and Jade H, who teamed up for the Heifer Fitting Challenge. Competing against professional adult fitters, our students held their own and snagged an incredible third place! Mrs. Eyb was fielding questions all weekend from impressed onlookers asking who prepared our school's cattle. She could not have been prouder to tell them: the students did the absolute lot!

More Bathurst Highlights:

Dominating the Home Ground: The Orange Show

The Orange Show saw the strongest line up of cattle in years, with schools traveling all the way from Sydney and Kandos to test their skills against the locals. Our students really performed in the parading and junior judging. A special mention must go to Year 8 student Jess D, who took out Champion Junior Judge. Winning an under-18 class as a Year 8 student is an unbelievable achievement.

Country Vibes at the Yeoval Show

You can't beat a traditional country show, and Yeoval delivered a fantastic day out for everyone. While our cattle performed beautifully across the board, the absolute highlight of the day belonged to Year 10 student Matilda S, who set the standard and took home Senior Champion Parader!

A massive thank you to all the students for their late nights, early mornings, and exemplary behaviour, and to the staff and families supporting them behind the scenes.

On Wednesday, 33 of our dedicated Junior School athletes travelled to Kinross Wolaroi School to take on the first level of representative competition at the HICES Cross Country. It was a day defined by grit and school spirit, as our runners faced a challenging course and high-stakes competition.

While everyone was keeping a nervous eye on the sky, the rain luckily held off for the duration of the event. However, the runners didn't get away completely dry; the track featured sections of significant mud that tested everyone's balance and stamina.

A huge congratulations goes to Genevieve W, who took out first place in a brilliant run. She was joined in the top rankings by Arjun M and Olivia B, who both secured fantastic third place finishes in their respective age groups.

A massive highlight of the day was the leadership shown by Lucy J. Acting as a true Cross Country ambassador, Lucy stepped up to lead warm up sessions for the various age groups, offering sage advice to the younger runners and helping them settle their pre race nerves. Her mentorship provided a wonderful boost to the team morale.

The hard work certainly paid off, with 11 of our students successfully gaining a place to progress to the CIS Cross Country in June. We are incredibly proud of all 33 representatives for their efforts at Kinross Wolaroi, and we look forward to cheering on our qualifiers as they take on the best in the state next month.

There have been a number of positive developments within the unit recently. CDTSGT Lachlan Coutts successfully completed his Adventure Training Award course and was presented with his Boomerang. This is a well-deserved achievement for Lachlan, reflecting his strong dedication to his role within the unit.

Our daughter unit, 239 ACU Bathurst , is now parading separately from 252 ACU at the Bathurst Showground. Our training team has been attending on Wednesday evenings to assist in the development of the Bathurst cadets. 239 ACU will still attend Bivouacs with us as part of their progression. This collaboration will allow advanced cadets from that unit to gain the skills and competencies needed to advance their cadet careers in terms of personal growth and rank training. Furthermore, we are very pleased to congratulate 2LT Brett Kenworthy of Bathurst on his promotion to LT (AAC) and his appointment as OC of 239 ACU Bathurst.

Recently, the Orange RSL Sub-Branch presented our unit with the Spirit of ANZAC perpetual award. This honor features a magnificently etched Wilkinson-style sword bearing the King's Cypher (CIIIR) and the RSL logo and polished stainless steel scabbard, housed on a Mahogany timber base with plaque plates for recipients. The inaugural recipients of this award are CDTWO2 Amrinder Dhaliwal and CDTSGT Talin Collison . We congratulate both cadets for their hard work and dedication; this award is a fitting recognition of their achievements. The sword will be proudly carried by our Senior Cadet Under Officer at ceremonial parades, most notably our end-of-year passing out ceremony.

It is with deep sadness that Reverend Stringer has announced that he will be moving on from OAGS at the end of the year. Rev. Stringer, himself a former Major (AAC), has been a tireless supporter of 252 ACU and was instrumental in the unit's establishment. Rev. Stinger has been asked and has accepted the offer of being our reviewing officer at the 2026 end of year passing out parade. We wish Reverend Stringer and his family well on this new chapter of their lives.

Upcoming Events & Important Information

Note: There will be no parade on Monday, 8 June 2026 due to the extended King’s Birthday weekend (for OAGS students).

We’re currently welcoming applications to join our team.

Opportunities Available:

For a full job descriptions and to apply.

Visit our website www.oags.nsw.edu.au and be part of a supportive, vibrant school community

Contact us for more information 63604811