Junior School

Welcome back to another exciting school year in Junior School at Oxley Christian College! It is a joy to see familiar faces returning and to welcome new families into our vibrant and supportive community. This year promises to be filled with growth, learning, and unforgettable moments for our students. Our dedicated team of educators are committed to fostering a positive and enriching environment where your children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We are delighted to introduce Mrs Brandon and Miss Dwight as our new Year 2 teachers, along with Miss Driessen, who joins us as our new Year 5 teacher. Their passion for education and dedication to fostering a nurturing learning environment align perfectly with our school community. We believe that a strong partnership between families and educators is key to a successful educational experience. We encourage open communication between home and school. Together, let's make this school year a time of discovery, achievement, and lasting memories. 

Our Prep students have enjoyed their first two weeks at school and are looking forward to commencing fulltime next week. It has been wonderful to see them quickly settling into the learning environment. At the commencement of the school year, staff focus on building a collaborative learning community for all students across the Junior School. It is an engaging and positive time that sets the stage for a successful year. 

Parent Reminders

I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents about the expectations relating to the following important points.

Driving on College Property and Student Collection Points 

When driving around the College property, please be mindful of the road rules, ensuring that there is no stopping on the side of the roads or across the pedestrian crossings. If you need to stop or park, please do so in designated car parks. Please also remember that Junior School students are not permitted to walk down to the Stadium to be picked up. Parents are asked to collect children from the end of Learning Street where they are under the supervision of Yard Duty teachers. This will ensure that our students are kept safe at all times. Thank you for your support with this matter.

Policy Relating to Mobile Phones And Smart Devices at School

As I am sure you can appreciate, the use of mobile phones, phones with cameras, and other smart devices can be disruptive to the learning environment and harmony of the College. While being an integral part of our society, such devices are not required during school hours. In addition, the College has a duty of care for students while they are at school. We respectfully request that all communication between parents and students during this time be done through our Administration Office and staff.

As stated in our Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy, any mobile phone or smart device brought to the College must be switched off and kept in a locked locker (Senior School) or school bag (Junior School) during school hours. This policy relates to mobile phones and smart devices, including smart watches and any other electronic device with the ability to communicate using a non-school network. Junior School staff have been reminded of the expectations and asked to enforce the policy. A full copy of the Mobile Phone and Smart Device Policy can be found on the Parent Portal.

Parents and Visitors on the College Property During School Hours

Parents and visitors are not permitted to walk around the College grounds or visit classrooms or staff offices during school hours. If a parent needs to bring in an item for their child, they must take it to Student Reception, in the Administration Office, where staff will organise for the item to be delivered to the relevant classroom. If a parent would like to speak with a teacher, please contact the College on 9727 9900 to arrange a suitable time.

Learning Enhancement Program

Every child is unique, and their learning journey should reflect that! In our Junior School, we go the extra mile to meet different learning needs, both in and out of the classroom. Our fantastic Learning Enhancement team works tirelessly to support your child's individual growth. One awesome program, previously known as Horizons, is getting a makeover this year, and will now be known as COGS (Cultivation of Gifted Students). This program offers exciting learning opportunities to enable enrichment and extension in English, Maths, and STEM. During termly IGNITE sessions (which run over two days), whole classes will be involved in enriching experiences, while on the second day, small focus groups will dive into extension activities to deepen learning for those who need it. Selected students will then attend weekly FUEL (Fostering Understanding through Extended Learning) sessions to foster their ongoing growth.

Last week, as part of the COGS program our Junior School students were visited by the energetic and always surprising Mr Dickson who ran IGNITE sessions with each year level and small groups. During these sessions he took them through a literary look at the works of Dr Seuss… So here is a recap of the day in a Seussical way!

Our students looked into an author called Seuss

Of Horton and Oobleck and Thidwick the Moose

Of a Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2

Of Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

Of Red Fish and Blue Fish, a Book About Me

Of Marvin K Mooney, the Lorax and trees

Bartholomew Cubbins, a Great Butter Battle

Of Mr Brown mooing and mooing like cattle

McElligot’s Pool, Hopping on Pop

Foxes in Socks… will this list ever stop?

Yertle the Turtle, The Places You’ll Go

The grumpy old Grinch (he stole Christmas you know)

Hearing a Who, Happy Birthday to You,

Some creatures called Sneetches, If I Ran the Zoo

Daisy-head Mayzie, the great Sam-I-am

And everyone talked about Green Eggs and Ham!

So we looked at meter, we looked into rhyme

We looking into rapping out beats double-time

We looked at key characters, alliterative advice

And writing within a pangramic device

All this and more in just two days of fun…

So we’ll wait for Term 2 to do another one!

Junior School Leaders

On Thursday 15 February, it was a delight to induct our Junior School leaders into their positions at our Investiture Chapel. We acknowledged our Junior School Captains, Semester 1 Home Group Captains, and Enviro Captains. In addition, all Year 6 students were presented on stage as they serve as the most senior members of our Junior School cohort. Our guest speaker, Dr Douglas Peck, shared with the students and encouraged them in their leadership. Our Junior School Captains, Judah and Rose also reminded us that leadership is not about the badge. Anyone can be a leader by being an example to those around them through their words and actions. Leadership is not about self-importance but instead about seeking to serve others. 

Congratulations to the following students for their appointments as student leaders:

2024 Junior School Student Leaders

2024 Semester 1 Home Group Captains

2024 Semester 1 Enviro Captain

Cyber Safety & Digital Wellbeing Program

In 2024 students in Years 1-6 will be participating in Inform & Empower Cyber Safety & Digital Wellbeing program. This means that your child will be tuning in to live streamed incursions (with their teachers) every term that focus on healthy and safe digital habits. The incursion content is all written and delivered by qualified teachers who are endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. These sessions aim to help children better navigate the online world and become more aware, clever, brave and kind. They will focus on topics including navigating unwanted contact, cyberbullying, help-seeking strategies, unsafe content, balancing screen time with green time and sharing personal information. You, the parents and carers, will also be given resources to support conversations with your children at home. You will receive a concise tip sheet each term that outlines what your child learned about in class and how you might open up these important conversations. To further equip you with tools to navigate the digital world as parents, we will be hosting an informative session Raising Kids in a Digital World presented by Martin and Carley McGauran on Wednesday 22 May 2024. Mark the date in your diary and plan to be there for an eye-opening night of information. 

Connecting With Our Community

As mentioned by Dr Peck in his opening remarks, our College theme for 2024 is Life Together. Building community is essential and plays an important role in the education of our students. In Junior School, we are looking for ways to intentionally connect with parents and build this sense of community while also fostering the partnership between home and school. It is a pleasure to invite all parents to our first ever Literacy Discovery Evening. This event will take you on a walk through all the elements of our literacy program here in Junior School. You will discover valuable information about how reading, writing and spelling are taught, what VCOP means and how you can provide invaluable home support for your child in the area of Literacy. The evening will be held on Thursday 21 March at 7.00pm. I encourage you to save the date and make every effort to attend. Further information will be sent out soon.

‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and we certainly treasure and value the partnership we have with you in your child’s learning. We look forward to working with all our families and seeing the development of each precious student in 2024.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Teach them diligently to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 

Amy Liddle

Head of Junior School