The Vine – Vol 14, 11th September 2014

The Newsletter of
Oxley Christian College
Issue No 14
11th September 2014
From The Principal
Camp Calamity – Congratulations!
Following the great success of the Senior School musical
production Broadway Stories, we are now enjoying
the excitement of the Junior School production Camp
Calamity. With every student from Preps to Year 6 taking
part, each year level performs an episode in the eventful
day of Alexander and his endless school camp mishaps.
Year 1 wakes up the campers for a very full day which
includes the Preps Craft Activity, Year 2 Camp Concert,
Year 3 Horse Riding, Year 4 Vegetable Challenge, Year 5
Canoeing, and Year 6 Basketball.
This is a wonderful show with great performances from
the students and audiences have enjoyed every minute.
Obviously teachers have been extremely busy leading
rehearsals. We congratulate everyone involved and look
forward to the final performance tonight.
This is the last Vine for Term 3. Alongside the impressive
work achieved in classroom programs, Term highlights
include International Week with the visit of Beijing No
57 School, Junior International Costume Parade and the
Year 11 International Dinner, Senior Ensemble Concert,
IPSHA Junior Choral Festival, Senior School Musical,
Inter School Debating, Tournament of Minds, Book
Week, Pre-School Kookaburra and Echidna Groups Dad’s
Nights, the recent Year 9 Challenge Camp and Duke of
Edinburgh Camp, and Junior District Sports, EISM Winter
Sports and Championships. Year 10 have their formal
dinner tomorrow night and we look forward to Senior
School Parent Teacher Evenings next week.
I feel privileged to be part of this school community as
together we pursue the blessings of a Christian education.
Sally Broadley
Devotion
Reaching for Change
Oxley students distributing shoeboxes in
Cambodia (January 2014)
The state of many existing schools in Cambodia
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing
from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility count others more
significant than yourselves. Let
each of you look not only to his
own interests, but also to the
interests of others.”
Earlier in the year I had the
incredible
experience
of
accompanying a group of nine
students to Cambodia. It was
life changing. On embarking on
a missions trip, you often go into
it with the mindset of ‘how am I
going to help’ or ‘what difference
can I make’. Yet on reflection, it
is usually you that is impacted,
your mindset changed, your future
redirected.
It is encouraging to hear from past
students who have been on this
same trip in previous years. They
speak of how the trip actually gave
them their life focus, fine tuned
their direction and gave them their
current passion.
Cambodia was devastated by
the impacts of the Khmer Rouge,
with its infrastructure destroyed,
its teachers, doctors and leaders
murdered or chased away. As
we toured Cambodia we were
struck by just how devastating, for
generations, this regime had been.
The lack of education stood out,
as schools had been shut down
and most destroyed. It meant
that employment opportunities
were few and far between;
hygiene was not a priority; farming
practices were antiquated and
simplistic; basic water filtration
was unavailable etc. Due to this,
Cambodians, especially those in
rural areas are very vulnerable and
susceptible to mistreatment. Many
venture into Thailand, illegally
seeking food and work and are
often used as slave labour.
When I look at many of the current
situations around the world,
especially with ISIS in Iraq, I can’t
help but think in many ways it is
history repeated. Do we throw up
our hands in despair? What can we
do? It really is a difficult situation,
which we hope and pray our world
leaders can help resolve. They are
situations we ourselves need to
pray into and hope that God will
prevail, peace will come.
“
Yet on reflection, it is
usually you that is impacted,
your mindset changed, your
future redirected.
considering it has been completely
student led. There is still $3,000
left to raise, with a few small
fundraisers currently in the works.
Reaching For Change (RFC) is one
of these initiatives, where students
have the opportunity to give small
change during their Home Group
time into money tins. To think, if
every student gave just $3, we’d be
almost there!
Your incredible generosity as a
school community is so greatly
appreciated. We have given out
over 500 Operation Christmas
Child shoeboxes already. Having
witnessed the distribution of these
gifts, you really cannot imagine
just how much they are loved
and cherished by the children
that receive them, or how heart
breaking it is to see some children
who gather around and watch,
because there are not enough for
them. I commend those families
who are taking the time and
money to invest in the life of a child
through the giving of a shoebox, or
who have helped donate towards
the building project in Cambodia.
,,
I have loved watching however, the
response shown by our students
on their return from Cambodia.
Throughout the year, they have
continued to raise the issues of
Cambodia amongst their peers
and committed to raising an
ambitious $10,000 by the end of the
year. These funds will go towards
building a new school in one of the
poorest parts of rural Cambodia.
Where new schools are built,
enrolments increase. Samaritan’s
Purse also starts other projects
like ‘Bikes for Kids’ where children
are given bikes, enabling them
to get to school, or ‘Chickens for
Kids’ where the home is impacted
with sustainable food and income.
Then of course, the all important
water filtration projects are also
introduced. Education is a key to
recovery for Cambodia!
So far almost $7,000 has been
raised,
an
incredible
effort
Haydn Wilde returns the first of many Operation
Christmas Child shoeboxes. Thanks Haydn!
In January 2015 a group of 15
students and 3 staff will venture
out on a similar trip. They get to
see first hand the community that
these shoeboxes and building
project will directly impact!
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have
shown you that by working hard
in this way we must help the weak
and remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, how he himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive.”
Pastor Matt
Chaplain
Senior School
One more week to go before Term 3 ends! Next week we
hope to meet with many parents at our Parent (Student)
Teacher interview nights on Tuesday and Thursday.
We do encourage students to attend these interviews.
Hopefully many families will have booked interviews
already. In the last few days parents will have received
Interim Reports for Semester 2 – the information in these
reports will help you to identify which teachers you would
like to meet, if you do not feel the need to meet with
all teachers. For students doing Year 12 subjects, the
reports are more comprehensive, as it is the final report
for those subjects. Instructions on how to book Parent
Teacher interviews are contained in the letter posted with
the Interim Reports.
This week we have welcomed back our Year 9s. This year,
for the first time, there were two different Year 9 camps.
Students enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh program
were in the Eildon region, while students on the other
Year 9 camp were in the Strathbogie Ranges. Both camps
experienced tough weather conditions early in the week.
While this can put a damper on some activities, it does
give students a sense of achievement as they survive and
conquer the elements.
There are two major events in the College this week.
The Senior School will be supporting the Junior School
production on Wednesday and Thursday evening. Then
on Friday night our Year 10 students will enjoy their year
level dinner at Karralyka. A number of dances have been
learned within the PE program in preparation for this
event.
Our focus is also on supporting our Year 12 students at
this time of year. In most subjects they are finishing off
the last of any new curriculum, completing final SACs,
and beginning to focus earnestly on revision and practice
examinations. Feel free to support them with your prayer.
Geoff Roberts-Thomson
Deputy Principal - Head of Senior School
Congratulations
Congratulations to Andy & Lyvia Knee on the arrival of
their baby girl, Elkie on the 25th August weighing 7.5lbs.
Army Regime comes to Chapel
“Army Regime”, a hip hop band from New York, stopped
by Oxley during Senior School Chapel on Tuesday 2nd
September. Presenting an interactive gospel message
of hope, they encouraged our students to dream big,
never give up, and to be all God has called them to be.
A highlight, much to the enjoyment of the student body,
was when the teachers were invited on stage and learned
how to dance ‘Army Regime’ style!
Junior School
At the time of writing, our Junior School students and
staff are busy preparing for the Dress Rehearsal of ‘Camp
Calamity’. Classes are fine-tuning their performance
and looking forward to showcasing their talent for family
and friends. We thank all the staff and parents who have
willingly given of their time and energy to ensure this
event is a success. We hope that you enjoyed the show!
Our annual Years 3-6 Basketball Competition will be
held on the last day of term, Friday 19th September. The
students have been training with their senior coaches
and are keen to take to the court and have fun. Parents
are invited to join us in the Stadium to help cheer on our
players. The first game commences at 10.00am.
Thank you to our Year 3 students for organising a
successful Father’s Day Stall for Junior School students.
We are sure there were many happy dads on Sunday!
Year 3 students will use the profits raised from this stall
to purchase items for the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas
boxes. All Junior School students and their families
are invited to fill shoeboxes with gifts for the Operation
Christmas Child program.
NAPLAN results were distributed to all students in Years
3 and 5 this week. Whilst these results represent your
child’s performance in a ‘one off’ test, our capable staff
use many forms of data, collected over time, to inform
their teaching and learning. Please do not hesitate to
contact your child’s class teacher if you have questions or
wish to discuss the report further.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank Ms Sian Brewer
for her enthusiastic support of 2A whilst Mr Tim Ashmore
was on leave and Mrs Joanne Hutchinson, who worked
tirelessly as our PE replacement for Mrs Emma Ashmore.
We wish these two ladies all the best in their future
endeavours and hope to see them at Oxley again soon.
We look forward to welcoming the Ashmore’s back to
Oxley in Term 4 and hearing all about their adventures.
As students return from a well-earned break in Term 4,
they may wear summer or winter uniform during the two
week transition time. Please ensure girls’ summer dresses
are at the correct length, with the hem at the bottom of
the knee.
We pray that our staff, students and their families have
a safe and relaxing holiday. “Neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39
Sharee Gaiser
Head of Junior School
What Did You Do at School Today?
Kinderoo
At Kinderoo we had a puppet show incursion “The Cow
Jumped Over the Moon”. All the children enjoyed and
shared in the humour of this interactive story. The children
were very excited to choose their favourite puppet at the
end and to have a turn behind the puppet theatre with
Mrs Drummond.
William and his dad Jonathan
Pre-School
This week we have continued our learning about
the human body, looking in particular at the senses,
the skeleton and the heart. Holly’s mum lent us her
stethoscope so we could listen to our heartbeat. At
library with Mrs Saward we discussed the difference
between fiction and non-fiction books and were excited
to be able to borrow from the non-fiction section for the
first time. We also caught up with our Year 3 buddies for
stories, a chat and a play…
Last Friday we had our Kinderoo Sports Day in celebration
of Father’s Day. We had an enjoyable time with all the
dads.
Nathan, Lucas & Lincoln
Eleanor and her dad Michael
Green team
Mitch, Elijah & Mason
In order to celebrate our dads we held a special Father’s
Evening, which was a lot of fun. The children had the
opportunity to play games with their dads and to show
them some of the learning we have been doing in the
classroom. We shared a story on the mat together before
handing out cards and gifts that the children had made,
then finished the evening with a delicious supper.
Lachlan and his Dad Adam
San Lian and her dad Vung
Preps
We smiled and smiled as we sang our song on stage. We
were so excited to go up on the stage and perform in
front of all the Mums, Dads, Grandmas, Grandpas and
other special visitors. We remembered all the actions,
all the words and remembered to keep smiling too. It
was so much fun. Thank you to everyone for coming to
watch.
Year 1
Year 1 has been very busy. We loved the Book Week
incursion, especially the singing and dancing – some of
us even had the chance to help out the performers. We
also enjoyed seeing some of our favourite picture books.
It was so much fun performing at the Junior School
production and we knew our parts really well. We are all
fantastic singers and dancers!
Year 2
During the last fortnight the Year 2s have been working
hard practising their songs for the concert. I am sure you
will all enjoy seeing them perform in the Junior School
musical ‘Camp Calamity’. Our topic this term has been
life cycles. The students are producing amazing posters
showing everything they know about their chosen animal’s
life cycle. As well as learning about life cycles, they are
also learning valuable note-taking and presentation skills.
Year 3
Year 3 had a wonderful time preparing and serving the
Junior School through the Father’s Day Stall. There was
much excitement as the products were carefully arranged,
sales slogans were developed and crazy hats were worn!
The Year 3s enjoyed assisting the Junior School students
with their purchases. We learned some important values
of putting others’ needs before our own and that we are
blessed to be a blessing. We look forward to packing
goodies into shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse with the
money raised from the stall.
Year 4
Lights, cameras, action! We have had fun creating the
movements and action for our Camp Calamity item. It
has been a magnificent team effort. We each had the
opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions to make
our song fun and enjoyable. We hope you enjoyed it
as much as we did. We’re looking forward to finding
out the processes of farming at the Yakult factory and at
Chesterfield Farm. We will work in the school’s vegetable
garden and find some yummy things to cook at the Barn.
Year 5
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, at
the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more.” Year
5 students are thinking deeply about the themes and
issues embedded within the text ‘The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis and are making some
wonderful connections between Aslan and the hope
that we have in Christ. In addition, Year 5 students have
been researching and finalising their reports on amazing
discoveries and inventions that scientists in the past have
made. These important ideas have often been built
upon by other scientists helping us to enjoy many of the
medicines and technologies that we enjoy today.
Year 6
Year 6 students are enjoying performing in the ‘Basketball
Rap’ item for ‘Camp Calamity’! They look spectacular in
their costumes and have learned their song and actions
really well. They are also looking forward to an excursion
to IMAX Theatre to see ‘Forces of Nature’ – an impressive
movie about volcanoes, tornadoes and earthquakes. Year
6s are also excited about the Junior House Basketball
Competition next Friday. A fabulous end to the term!
Students of the Week
Week beginning Monday 25th August
1T
1J
2M
2A
3B
3L
4K
4G
5T
5J
6S
6L
Jazmine Kanter
Aston Smith
Jak Van De Velde
Max Broadley-Thomson
Zara Shepherd
Riley Haycraft
Emily Sopar
Audrey Lyons
Ella Whiting-Le Cras
Rosha Rajabi Siahboomi
Tara Bell & Jessica Dziadosz
John Sopar
Sport
Senior Sport
Senior Girls A Netball Team Season Report
The Senior Girls A Netball Team finished the season with
a well-deserved victory over Donvale Christian College.
It was a pleasure to play Donvale for our last game, as it
is always played in such a good spirit. The team only lost
one game for the season, the first match against Bialik. It
appears we just missed out on the Finals.
Just like last year, the team were playing excellent netball
as the season finished.
The team consisted of:
Goal Keeper - Jane Pryor (12.8) competed valiantly and
was an invaluable member of the team. Thanks Jane for
a top season.
Goal Defence - Cassandra Slaven (12.8) who was
outstanding with her ability to intercept the opposition
passes and put us into attack. She was our ‘Rock of
Gibraltar’. A great year Cassie!
Wing Defence - Nikola Canov (11.13). Nikki’s outstanding
speed and great positioning enabled her to pressurise
the opposition each time they came forward, causing
many turnovers. Nikki really improved her passing this
year and was another fine player in defence.
Centre - Laura Walsh (12.7). Laura’s direction as Centre
made her a key part of the team’s movement of the ball.
Laura ran incessantly making position and directing the
play. Well played Laura.
Wing Attack - Bridie Weston (10.3). Bridie was new to
the team this year and once she convinced the coach to
play her in her correct position, she was almost mistake
free as Wing Attack. Bridie’s passing was almost faultless
making her an important reason for our long run without
defeat. She certainly attacks the ball hard. Well done
Bridie!
Goal Attack - Elizabeth Cutting (12.10). Liz was our
Captain and her leadership kept driving the girls to keep
running. This, together with her hard running, excellent
catching, rebounding and sure shooting made her our
most valuable player. Congratulations on your season
Liz!
Goal Shooter - Sharon Taylor (11.16). Sharon was
another girl who debuted this year and was certainly
not out of place in a high standard competition. Sharon
made excellent position and caught and shot well. She
combined very well with Liz! Well done Sharon!
Maddison Ebeyer (10.1) – 3 games and Jorja O’Connor
(10.2) - 1 game, also played and gathered excellent
experience for next year. Thanks girls.
Don Harrison
Coach
EISM Senior Girls Hockey Season Report
The Senior Girls Hockey Team had a smashing year!
Starting off the season with a 2-0 win, the girls remained
strong through most of the competition. With a few
unfortunate games towards the end, we were unluckily
knocked out of the Finals. A special mention goes to
Maddy Bale (10.3) for being an excellent and consistent
goalkeeper, saving many goals and showing great skill.
With our strong defending team consisting of Anita
Odd (11.13), Brooke Soffici (11.13), Abigail Vos (11.16),
Sandra Li (10.4), Rebecca Janczuk (10.3) and Rachel Aing
(11.16), we managed to keep the ball in our attacking
half for the majority of playing time. Tahlie Arena (11.16),
Alannah Edyvane (10.2), Megan Hallang (10.1), Manon
Schey (10.3) and Elysia Yee (10.4) worked well in the
forward line, showing great teamwork and cooperation
to set up goals and face the tough defenders of other
schools. As a whole, I commend the girls on a terrific
season and cannot wait for the season to come.
Georgia Fredericks
Team Captain
It was a pleasure to work with the Senior Girls Hockey
team throughout the Winter Season. They bonded
together well as a team and were very supportive of each
other regardless of whether they were winning or losing.
Congratulations to the entire team, as well as Cuai Cuai
Thihlum (10.1), who was an amazing contributor to our
team for the first half of the season. A special mention
goes to Georgia Fredericks (11.13) for being recognised
as the Most Valuable Player and Tahlie Arena (11.16) for
being voted the Best Team Player for this season.
Nicole Latham
Coach
EISM Year 7 Netball Season Report
We had many players try out for two
teams so the first tough challenge was to
pick the teams! A-team finished with
one win, a draw and 3 losses. B-team
remained winless for the season. A
reminder from that season record was to
celebrate the small successes and not have our weekly
happiness determined by our sporting results! The
positive attitude and perseverance shown in all games
was admirable. The girls played with unity always, and
what a pleasureable sight that was each week. Special
thanks to Amber Schmolling (7.16) for leading the Ateam well as Captain and Georgia Gellert (7.16), her
capable Vice Captain.
Season awards and stats include:
Most Valued Player (MVP) A Team: Alicia Madigan (7.16)
followed by Amber Schmolling (7.16) and Miranda
Gartner (7.17). Alicia was our reliable Goal Shooter and
had many mid court dashes.
MVP B team: Sarah Hudson (7.17) followed by Verity
Runje (7.16) and Casey Wallace (7.14). Sarah provided
many intercepts and rebounds as Goal Keeper.
Best Team Player A Team: Georgia Gellert (7.16)
followed by Grace Muller (7.16) and Amber Schmolling
(7.16). Georgia was Vice Captain and helped organise
the team and played with an admirable positive attitude
throughout.
A selection process is in place with trials held for students
who show promise and a desire to be a member of the
Academy. The trials are conducted by an impartial
selection team who do not know the players or their
basketball playing history.
Best Team Player B Team: Casey Wallace (7.14) followed
by Chloe Wang (7.16) and Madeline Chester (7.17).
Casey was receptive to feedback and always did her best.
Trials for current Years 7 to 10 students who want to join
the Academy in 2015 will take place in Term 4 and new
enrolments for 2015 will be trialled at the start of next
year. All students will be notified in advance of the trial
dates that will take place in the Stadium at 7.20am over
three days.
Of the girls who shot a few goals in the A team, Amber
Schmolling (7.16) was the most accurate at 54% but Alicia
Madigan (7.16) was the most prolific, shooting 36 goals at
43% for the season (of games that statistics were taken).
B team main goal scorers were Casey Wallace (7.14),
Chloe Wang (7.16) and Madeline Ius (7.16).
Other squad members who were a pleasure to coach
included Isabella Aing (7.17), Chelsea Ball (7.17), Tabitha
Cross-Ryan (7.16), Samantha Dixon (7.16), Madeline
Ius (7.16), Brittany Jacinto-Garcia (7.16) and Chanse
Mathers (7.14).
Amber Schmolling (Captain and most
accurate shooter)
Sarah Hudson (B Team MVP)
Basketball Academy trials
Participation within the program is reviewed throughout
the year if any of the following areas become of concern.
•Academic performance (the grades of the student
must be maintained at or above their average grades
upon entry).
•Attendance.
•Work ethic and approach to academy sessions.
•Performance (an adequate level of performance must
be maintained to keep other prospective athletes out
of your position).
•Adherence to school rules (the same expectations
apply to athletes within the program as for other
Oxley Christian College students).
•Conduct in or out of school bringing the Academy
into disrepute.
There are currently 23 members in the Basketball
Academy that range from Years 7 to 11. Bethany AshleyCooper (11.13) has been a member for the past five years
while Jakob Jones (10.2) and Jamie Gartner (10.1) have
been members for four years.
Gavin Fox
Coach
Basketball Academy goes digital
Students in the Basketball Academy will now be able to
get accurate feedback on their basketball skills through
the use of new digital technology during training sessions.
Students will be able to improve their shooting and
dribbling through the use of a 94Fifty basketball, which
is fitted with sensors that feed information to an iPhone
or iPad. The sensors in the basketball use point-of-force
technology to record data about the player’s shot and
dribble, beaming it via Bluetooth LE to a nearby mobile
device running the 94Fifty app. The goal is to teach
muscle memory, shoot or dribble the ball consistently
in one of 94Fifty’s timed drills, and then to repeat that
action on court during a game. The ball can connect
with devices within a 45 meter range which means players
on the opposite end of the court will still be able to get
immediate feedback on their game.
By implementing this new technology in the Basketball
Academy we add further value to the training of our
talented and elite basketballers at Oxley.
Bethany
Jakob
Jamie
The students currently train together on Wednesday
mornings at 7.20am in the Stadium. The Intermediate
group (Years 9 to 11) train on Monday mornings before
school in addition to their Wednesday training, while the
Junior group (Years 7 and 8) train on Thursday mornings.
The Academy is coordinated by Mr Kotze and skills
coaching is conducted by Tim Mulhall, former semiprofessional basketball player.
For more information on the Basketball Academy
program, contact Mr Frederik Kotze 9727 9662.
Frederik Kotze
Head of Sport
Year 9
Challenge Camp
When I was abseiling with Francis (petrified) he
said the following, which really stuck in my mind:
“Do you know why we have fear? It’s to protect us
from danger. But if we use our fear we can grow,
use it to help us. If we never stepped out of our
comfort zone we wouldn’t grow.”
“Attitude is contagious, is yours worth catching?”
I think this was very important to keep in mind on
camp, as (especially on physically challenging trips)
it is easy to focus on negatives and bring the team
down. Stay positive!
Grace Spratt (9.20)
Now when I look back on camp it was truly amazing as it puts
things into perspective and enables us to see how much we may
take for granted. One of my favourite things was the adventure
challenge at the end, I think it really brought our team together
and pushed us to our limits. This camp, although very tough, I
think it really helped us grow as people and put us out of our
comfort zones, which I really think will help us in the future.
Annie Walsh (9.21)
The first day was extremely challenging with all the rain and cold
weather. I was frustrated and dreading the rest of the week. As
the week went along the weather improved as did the groups
morale. The first hike was mostly uphill and was a good first hike
for us as we enjoyed setting up and having lunch. Kayaking was
also really fun even though it was freezing and tiring. The walk on
Wednesday was horrible, as we got lost because of a gap in the
map. We walked uphill and uphill with our packs and we were all
near breakdown. We were thrilled when we saw Mrs Roediger at
the campgrounds. We quickly set up camp and cooked our pizza
pockets while warming by the fire and lying down. Thursday was
probably the best as we rode bikes downhill to the abseiling
base to conquer our fears and then we made our way back to
the Charnwood cabins. We had a great sleep that night after the
walks and sleeping on the ground had taken their toll on us. On
Friday we competed against the other groups in a race around
base camp. We enjoyed some great hot dogs for lunch as we
finally said goodbye to our great guides and headed home.
Noah Butterfield (9.21)
I had a really good time on camp. Honestly at
the start I didn’t want to go at all but I ended up
learning a lot about myself and will definitely take
a lot away from it. Abseiling was one thing that I
pushed myself to do when I really didn’t want to,
I was so scared but I forced myself to and now I
am really happy I did. I learnt many other things
like how to pack my bag efficiently and how to
live without so many things like technology. I also
learnt a lot about others in my group, I wasn’t 100%
sure about everyone, but now I feel like I became
great friends with everyone. I feel like I can walk
away from this great experience knowing there is
nothing more that I could get out of myself. I faced
most things with a positive attitude and even the
things I didn’t want to do – I went through with and
completed them as well as I could.
Jordan Dyason (9.19)
During the lead up to camp, I was anxious, nervous
and overall dreading the whole thing. I was afraid I
wouldn’t be fit enough for it and was scared by the
stories I had heard from others, like hiking for hours
and going to the toilet in a hole!
However, when camp started, it wasn’t as bad as I
thought it would be. I tried my best to enjoy it and
be positive, and ended up getting a lot out of it. Of
course, there are parts during the hikes which were
so painful and I felt like I had to scream, but it was
amazing looking back to see what I (and the group)
had accomplished in the end. I’m also thankful for
the people I was with. I wasn’t sure if we would work
well as a team at the start, but we stuck together and
really worked well. Our guide, Sam, was also very
friendly and encouraging. Also I loved sitting around
the campfire at night with my team and looking at
the stars. Overall it was an amazing, wonderful and
very rewarding experience – to do all the activities,
bond with my teammates and experience the beauty
of nature.
Caitlyn Xavier (9.20)
Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Camp
The Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey took place in the Lake Eildon area from Monday 1st to Friday 5th
September. The 45 students were divided into two groups of boys and two groups of girls. The main focus of the camp
was canoeing and hiking plus an extra challenge for the students having to be responsible for self-catering (and carrying)
their food for the 5 day expedition. It was a wonderful experience enjoyed by both students and staff alike.
Stephen Frigo
Camp Leader
iDinner
The Year 11 International Dinner, or as we call it, the
iDinner, was held at York on Lilydale. Twas a marvellous
night of joyous fun and success. On the night of
Friday 1st, we celebrated the tremendous journey
undergone by all International Students and the effort
for collaboration we all wanted.
On the night, we were privileged to bask in the sheer
delight emitted from the voices and instruments of
the talented students who performed. This included
the memorable performance by Bill He (11.16) and
Samson Zhong (11.13), followed by a short poem
recital by Madison Anderson (11.13), a violin harmony
by Terence Ng (11.16) and Vincent Kulic (11.14), and
lastly the three singers Timothy Ong (11.15), Abigail
Vos (11.16), and Tahlie Arena (11.16), singing the night
to a close.
In between each course, we were entertained by the
intriguing and thought-provoking trivia created by
James Cummings (11.14) and Brayden Smith (11.16).
The winner received bags of goodies, and so did the
runners up. We were also in great anticipation of the
two short films directed by Louise Salenga (11.14)
and Tristan Stelzer (11.13), who also wrote his own
composition for the short film, “As One”, starring
Bethany Ashley-Cooper (11.13) and Rachel Aing
(11.16).
Overall, there was a great amount of effort put in to
the night, particularly from the colossus of people who
gave up their lunch times to plan the night.
Greg Barker
Year 11 Coordinator
Resource Centre
Book Week Incursions
Our Book Week guest authors and
performers - Simon Mitchell, Sofie
Laguna and Perform Educational
Musicals – generated a lot of
enthusiasm and interest in reading
and writing amongst our Junior
School students.
Simon Mitchell
explained to Years 5-6 students how
he researched information about
Melbourne’s history for his new book,
1931, for the Do You Dare? series. Sofie Laguna, author
of the popular Australian Girl titles, challenged Years 3-4
students to experiment with ideas, explore feelings and
seek feedback when writing. PEM delivered a wonderful
interactive presentation about three of this year’s CBCAshortlisted books to our Prep-2 students, helping us to
understand how reading can help us connect the past
and present.
Are you ex Navy, Army or Air Force?
Then Carry On (Victoria) may be able to help you with
education costs if you meet our eligibility criteria.
If you have served in the Australian Defence Forces or
Allied Forces and you wish to apply for a Secondary
Education Grant for 2015, please telephone Carry
On (Victoria) on 9629 2648 to establish eligibility
and request an application form.
Carry On (Victoria) assists Secondary School students
in Years 7-12 with grants for expenses such as fees,
books, uniforms, excursions etc. For those students
going on to Tertiary Education a grant may also be
available.
Children whose parent/s or legal guardian/s have
a need for financial assistance and comply with our
eligibilty criteria may apply. All grants are income
tested and applications should be submitted by 30th
October 2014.
Simon Mitchell, author of the Do You Dare? series, speaks to Year 5-6 students.
, our new Early Childhood Education & Care
facility, will be opening in 2015. We will offer long day care,
sessional kindergarten (3 & 4 yo), and out of school hours care, all
within a state of the art, purpose built facility.
As this is a new service, we have opportunities for several
qualified people to join our team. Applications are requested
from suitably qualified and experienced staff for the following
positions:

Long Day Care Leader

Long Day Care Room Staff

OSHC Leader

OSHC Assistant

Cook

Receptionist
Please complete the application form on the Oxley Christian
College website at the following link:
http://www.oxley.vic.edu.au/oxley-kids/oxley-kids-employment
For enquiries and further information, please contact:
office@oxleykids.vic.edu.au or call 03 9727 9900
Sofie Laguna, author of the popular Australian Girl titles, challenges Year 3-4.
Leanne Saward
Junior School Teacher/Librarian
Notice Board
Sep
UNIFORM SHOP
Gate 6,
15-49 Old Melbourne Rd
Ph: 9727 3994
Friday
12
Year 10 Dinner
Tuesday
16
Senior Parent/Teacher interviews
EISM Round 1 Years 8-9
Thursday
18
Senior Parent/Teacher Interviews
Years 3-6 Basketball Competition
Tuesdays & Thursdays (term time)
8.15 - 9.00am &
1.00 - 4.30pm
Friday
19
Last Day Term 3
First Day Term 4
The uniform shop will be open during the
school holidays on Friday 3rd October
10.00am - 3.00pm
Oct
Monday
6
Performance & Language Oral
exams begin
Tuesday
7
VCE Music Concert
Wednesday
8
EISM Senior Girls Footy
EISM Junior Division Athletics
Years 8-9
Uniform regulations and price list are
available at the Office or online at:
http://www.bobstewart.com.au
CLASSIFIEDS
The Oxley Classifieds are a convenient way
to buy and sell items (directly related to the
education of your child) such as textbooks,
uniform and musical instruments.
To advertise or purchase second-hand items
go to:
http://online.oxley.vic.edu.au/index.php
username: parent
password: oxley
OXLEY ONLINE
The Vine is also available online via our
website
www.oxley.vic.edu.au
Nov
CAREERS NEWSLETTER
To see the latest in tertiary information
including Open Days, visit:
http://www.oxley.vic.edu.au/category/careers
STUDENT ABSENCE LINE - 9727 9992
2014 Calendar
Thursday
9
9 into 10 Information Evening
Monday
13
EISM Round 1 Year 7
Wednesday
15
School at Work
Wed-Thu
15-16
Soiree Evenings
Thursday
16
Junior Regional Athletics
Monday
20
EISM Round 2 Year 7
Tuesday
21
VCE CCAFL Written Exams
Wednesday
22
Year 12 Last Day
Thursday
23
EISM Round 2 Years 8-9
Friday
24
Year 2 Sleepover
Year 12 Dinner
Mon-Tue
27-28
Year 9 Mock Election
Mon-Fri
27-30
Years 1-4 Swimming
Monday
27
EISM Round 3 Year 7
Tuesday
28
VCE Auslan Exam
Wednesday
29
VCE Exams start
EISM Year 7 Cricket & Softball
Thursday
30
EISM Round 3 Years 8-9
Friday
31
Prep-Year 3 Athletics
Monday
3
Student Free Day
Tuesday
4
Melbourne Cup Day
Wednesday
5
EISM Final Year 7
Thursday
6
EISM Years 8-9 Round 4
Years 7 & 9 Gardasil immunisation
Year 7 Instrumental Evening
Friday
7
Mooroolbark Community Sports
Day
A detailed calendar can be found at: www.oxley.vic.edu.au/calendar
OXLEY CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
A Coeducational School | Pre-School to Year 12
15-49 Old Melbourne Rd, Chirnside Park, Victoria, 3116, Australia
Principal: Mrs Sally Broadley
Ph: 03 9727 9900
Business Manager: Mr Andrew Holland
Fax: 03 9727 9988
International Ph: +61 3 9727 9900
International Fax: +61 3 9727 9988
ABN: 25005670682/008
email: office@oxley.vic.edu.au
A DIVISION OF LIFE MINISTRY CENTRE LTD. OLD MELBOURNE RD CHIRNSIDE PARK, VIC, 3116. (INC IN VICTORIA)