From the Headmaster
Living in Humility, Service, and Unity: A Reflection on Our Journey Together
Living in Humility, Service, and Unity: A Reflection on Our Journey Together
As we embrace another fortnight at Orange Anglican Grammar School, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 2:1-11, urging us to live lives marked by humility, service, and unity. Paul encourages us to "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." These words beautifully capture the essence of our school’s mission: to seek truth, pursue excellence, and live fulfilled lives of service.
This year has been a time of growth, learning, and shared purpose. I want to commend our students, who consistently strive to do their best with the gifts God has given them. Whether excelling academically, on the sports field, in artistic endeavours, or quietly serving their peers, their efforts reflect a spirit of humility and cooperation.
I also wish to acknowledge three significant events that highlighted our school community this week. On Monday, our Year 6 Graduation Day celebrated the achievements and milestones of our graduating primary students as they prepare to transition into secondary school. It was a moment of pride and reflection, marked by heartfelt speeches and the warmth of family support.
On Tuesday morning, we held our Primary Academic Awards ceremony, recognising the hard work, perseverance, and excellence of our younger students. Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to all, reminding us of the importance of striving to do our best with the talents God has entrusted to us.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, we turned our attention to the Secondary Academic Awards ceremony, a time to honour the achievements of our older students. The event not only showcased their academic brilliance but also intermittently celebrated the creative and performing arts with the Secondary Dance Company, Senior Rock Band, and Senior Concert Band.
Our staff, too, continue to exemplify servant leadership, pouring their energy and talents into creating a safe, supportive environment where every student is valued. Their dedication reminds me of Christ’s example of servant-heartedness—a model we are called to follow as we encourage and build one another up.
At OAGS, relationships are at the heart of all we do. We see this daily in the kindness of a friend helping another, the collaborative spirit in our classrooms, and the supportive words exchanged between teachers, students, and families. It is these acts of unity and love that make our school a special place.
As we approach the Christmas season, let us reflect on Christ’s humility and service. He came into the world not to be served, but to serve, teaching us that a full life lies in loving and caring for one another.
I encourage all members of our community to embody this mindset in the weeks ahead—seeking opportunities to serve, to build others up, and to reflect God’s love in all we do. In doing so, we honour not only our school’s values but also the teachings of Christ Himself.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our partnership in raising the children we are so blessed to have in our care. May you find joy and peace as we continue this journey together.
Yours in service,
Pastoral Care
"Wishing You a Joyful Christmas and Exciting Year Ahead – Updates from the Pastoral Care Team"
"Wishing You a Joyful Christmas and Exciting Year Ahead – Updates from the Pastoral Care Team"
The Pastoral Care Team wishes everyone a happy and safe Christmas holiday break, and a Happy New Year. We look forward to partnering with you in 2025 to teach, encourage and support your children as they grow.
Next year, we look forward to welcoming back Mrs Jess Willis as our Director of Engagement.
It has been a privilege to support the Pastoral Care Team this year, and I thank them all for their wisdom, grace and efforts in caring for our students, their families and our staff.
In 2025, I will return to my Primary Pastoral Care Coordinator role. For Secondary we will have;
Mrs Kimmins as Year 7 PC Coordinator
Miss Botta as Year 8 PC Coordinator
Mr Clipsham, who has recently joined us and will also be part of our Creative Arts teaching team, will be Year 9 PC Coordinator
Mrs Nealon will be Year 10 PC Coordinator
Mr Van Der Merwe will be Years 11 and 12 PC Coordinator
Our team is further supported by Mrs Wallace, our School Psychologist and Mrs Taylor, our School Counsellor.
As we wrapped up the term, our service projects at school this week were an encouraging time for staff and students. Thank you for your generous donations to our chosen charities. Our students have sorted them and they will be delivered shortly.
I pray that everyone will have a restful and encouraging break.
Georgina Willis
Director Pastoral Care
Primary School
Kindergarten
Year 3 Science: Exploring the Power of Magnets
Year 3 Science: Exploring the Power of Magnets
This term, Year 3 students have been diving into the exciting world of magnets in Science. Through a range of hands-on activities, they’ve discovered the unique properties of magnets, including how they attract and repel. The students enjoyed exploring how magnetic forces work, even when objects are not in direct contact. One of the highlights was testing everyday items to determine which were magnetic and which were not, sparking curiosity about the materials used in common objects.
The class also conducted experiments to see how the strength of a magnet can vary and how it interacts with different surfaces and distances. These activities encouraged students to make predictions, test their ideas, and record their observations like true scientists. It has been wonderful to see their excitement as they uncover the "invisible" force of magnetism in their world!
History: Understanding What It Means to Be Australian
In History, Year 3 students have been learning about Australian identity and culture. Through engaging lessons, they’ve explored the question,
What does it mean to be Australian?
The class has discussed Australia’s rich and diverse history, including the significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the First Australians.
Students also investigated important national symbols such as the Australian flag and the Australian Coat of Arms, and explored how these symbols represent our shared values. They enjoyed exploring Australian traditions, celebrations, and customs, learning how these shape the way we live today.
This term’s lessons have helped students reflect on the values of respect, diversity, and community that are integral to being Australian.
Anita Venter
Year 3 - Teacher
Secondary School
HSC Success
HSC Success
With the HSC Examinations complete, Year 12 students eagerly await their results, set to be released on Wednesday, 18th December. Meanwhile, we are thrilled to share some early, exciting news.
Two of our talented Design and Technology students, Alexandra Milne and Isioma Oba, have had their Major Design Projects nominated for the prestigious SHAPE Design and Technology exhibition at the Sydney Powerhouse Museum. This remarkable achievement reflects both their innovative creativity and their high-performance standards throughout the project.
Alexandra and Isioma invested countless hours both in and out of school, refining their unique design concepts. Alexandra identified a meaningful opportunity to educate young children through a beautifully illustrated storybook, teaching them about edema and its causes during pregnancy. Alongside the book, she designed adjustable shoes for edema patients, blending functionality with the story's theme to create an engaging and practical experience for families.
Isioma focused on a practical solution for students living in small apartments with limited space. Her modular furniture design underwent multiple rounds of prototyping and testing, enabling her to perfect and refine the concept into a highly effective final product.
This well-deserved recognition is a testament to their hard work, creativity, and determination. We are incredibly proud of Alexandra, Isioma, and all our Year 12 students, and we wish them the very best as they prepare to receive their results in December.
Mr Tim Brown
Director of Secondary
Discovery Days
Discovery Days
I am so delighted to share that the Secondary Discovery Day programme has been a wonderful success as students have learnt new skills and developed their passions in one of their elective options. These have been two action packed days and here are a few photos from Monday that capture some of what our students have been doing.
Faith at OAGS
CAPA
Music Lessons in 2025
Music Lessons in 2025
Registrations are now open for music lessons, ensemble membership and instrument hire for 2025. If your child is a continuing student from 2024 you will need to register again. Current students receive first priority for their current tutor. If you are new and would like to start participating in lessons or ensembles please fill out the form to the best of your knowledge and you will be contacted early in the year to confirm details.
Entry will remain open throughout the holiday period and will still be available at the start of the school year. Demand for spots is always high and with a couple of tutors leaving us this year (see below) there will be some pressure points, particularly around guitar and piano.
The forms, along with terms and conditions, can be found on the school website under
Our Academies >> CAPA >> Music (at the bottom of the page)
Or by direct link to the form here
Beginner Instrumental Lessons
At OAGS we offer a very generous programme to welcome beginners in strings, wind and brass. For one flat fee of $120 per semester students receive a weekly group lesson with a professional tutor and instrument hire. This is a cheap and easy way into music tuition, to test the waters and try something new.
Beginner Strings is open to students in Years 1,2 & 3
Beginner Wind & Brass (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet & trombone) is open to students in Years 3, 4, 5 & 6.
Details are on the school website.
Our Music Tutors
We are blessed at OAGS to have some fine musicians who teach on site during school hours. Many of these tutors are affiliated with the Orange Regional Conservatorium, they come with a wealth of experience and specialist expertise. It is with much sadness that we farewell two of our tutors this year as they both move towards a reduced workload.
Annette Houghton joined us in 2022, teaching piano. She has provided great lessons to some fine young pianists and has had much success with exams and eisteddfod performances.
Phil Moran has been coming to OAGS since 2018 and has seen many a guitarist pass through his door. Phil has a wonderful rapport with his students and passes his passion for the guitar onto many of them. We wish both Annette and Phil all the best in their future endeavours, OAGS has been fortunate to have them.
Studio Concerts
A number of our music tutors have recently held ‘studio concerts’ where their students have had the opportunity to perform for an audience of family and friends. Pictured below are some of our brass and string players who played.
Band Breakfast
It was a very successful year for many of our instrumental ensembles. To celebrate our successes we held our inaugural ‘Band Breakfast’ last Thursday. Students were thanked for their commitment and dedication throughout the year with a yummy start to the day.
New ‘Stage Band’ for 2025 in Secondary School
For lovers of Jazz and Latin styles of music we will be launching a new group in 2025 called ‘OAGS Stage Band’. This group will be open to trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and rhythm section instruments (guitar, bass & drums). Places will be limited, more details will be made available at the start of the 2025 school year. The group will run after school on Fridays.
ACE
ACE Faculty Festive Season
ACE Faculty Festive Season
As we get ready for the Christmas break, the ACE faculty have taken a key focus on the industries that really ramp up over the festive season.
Our practical teacher Miss D’Souza organised a very informative visit to Trunkey Creek Pork and Ham. The Senior Agriculture and Year 10 classes were able to watch an entire pork body being processed and made into the cuts used for our Christmas dinners. This was followed by a tour of the smoking and curing facility to watch bacon and other small goods being processed.
The students were amazed to discover that nearly all commercially available smallgoods in supermarkets are imported. Given that Australian pork producers can easily supply our country, you have to wonder why we import so much product. The answer is, like so many things, that overseas production systems have cheaper labour costs and are also heavily subsidised by their governments.
Our challenge was to take a look at the label on the ham and bacon in your own fridge. Next to the Australian logo is a statement about a very small percentage of the product being Australian made. In most cases that is usually the salt and flavourings.
The other Christmas food we have focused on is cherries. We were lucky enough on our Senior Agriculture tour to visit Hall family orchards in Wombat near Young. Here the focus is on targeting a premium market and attention to detail in all aspects of the production and marketing which formed the basis of their operation.
The Hall family also practises regenerative agriculture with technology and traditional methods combining to reduce the need for artificial fertiliser applications.
After gobbling down a lot of cherries (and even cherry ice cream), the tour continued to Local Land Services. The key areas being threatened are species conservation and joint projects with landholders and Aboriginal people. The staff at Young LLS have pioneered a proactive skills program looking at cultural burns in Travelling Stock Reserves to control weeds. The program found not only did slow burns assist in weed control, but they provided a great opportunity for connection to the country for Aboriginal people.
Sport
Sport News
Sport News
The Sports Academy thanks all students, parents, and staff for their unwavering support. We look forward to even greater success in 2025.
All representative nominations have been sent out, and our swimming carnival is scheduled for the 5th of February.
Students weekly sports activities were a success, despite some rain causing a few cancellations during term, Students made the most of the time available and are now eagerly looking forward to the new selections for Term 1. Term 1 will conclude with summer sports, wrapping up an exciting season of activities.
Congratulations to our Sportsperson of the year:
Primary Sportsman - Tim N
Primary Sportswoman - Jovi B
Secondary Sportsman - Keegan W
Secondary Sportswoman - Milla J
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back in 2025.
OAGS Sports Academy
Rugby at OAGS for 2025
Rugby at OAGS for 2025
We are excited to announce the introduction of the sport of Rugby Union in the Primary School through the Central West Junior Rugby Union Competition in 2025. Central West Juniors provide competition in the Walla age groups of 6, 8 and 10 years, which is non tackling in nature (grab and hold), thus presenting an opportunity for players to learn the game in a less than physical environment, promoting teamwork and skills development. Teams within the Central West Juniors are co-ed (boys and girls) up to U14 age group, providing equal opportunity for boys and girls to develop into the game, enhancing friendships and team spirit that the school endeavours to promote.
The Walla competition plays on Sunday mornings and includes teams from towns such as Orange, Millthorpe, Bathurst, Blayney, Cowra, Parkes, Forbes, Wellington, Dubbo and Mudgee. It is proposed that the school will eventually field teams in the U12 to U18 competition in future years, who play on Saturdays.
We have dedicated and committed members of staff who will be undertaking the coaching of your child(ren), all who have considerable experience as players, coaches and match officials. These include, Peter Reid, Timothy Herbert, Alistair Miller, Armand Van Den Merwe and other staff as required. We require a minimum of 20 players per age group to be registered by the end of February 2025. Training will commence in Term 1 and continue on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons during the duration of the season. If numbers permit, multiple teams in each age category may be entered.
While we understand that your child may already play for an external town team, the introduction of Rugby Union within our school is an excellent opportunity to foster school spirit and camaraderie among our student body. Playing for the school will still allow your child who has aspirations of higher Central West representation to do so.
A letter shall be given to all primary aged students to take home in Term 4, which we ask to be returned, so we may gauge interest, prior to an information night being organised. However, for your convenience, there is an electronic link attached here that you can access to complete your child(rens) interest. Further information regarding this endeavour may be gained from Peter Reid .
Community News
OAGS Classifieds
Orange Super kick Centre
Orange Super kick Centre
Kid's Club
Kid's Club
