From the Principal

After several busy weeks, our students and staff have concluded Semester 1 at Oxley Christian College. The final few weeks of Term 2 have seen our staff support students in a range of high-quality co-curricular activities and assessments, including ensemble evenings, interschool sport, excursions, midyear examinations, performances, presentations, the Year 9 Election Program, and the General Achievement Test (GAT) for many of our VCE students. I wish to commend our students for challenging themselves throughout Semester 1. 

During each school term, life can be very busy for our College community, with many events, learning activities, and co-curricular activities that are important and meaningful parts of our learning program at Oxley. However, in the busyness of each day, we can forget or become complacent about making space to prioritise our walk with Jesus as we endeavour to prioritise Following the Way. 

In Luke 10:40-42, we read about Martha, who was so busy that she failed to slow down to connect with Jesus and be in His presence. By contrast, we read that Mary stopped and sat at the Lord’s feet to listen to His teachings (Luke 10:39). 

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:40-42

More than ever, we live in a distracted culture where many things, including technology, vie for our attention (Idleman, 2016). In his daily devotional book, Kyle Idleman (2016, p. 43) notes, “It’s easy to equate busyness with virtue or discipline.” Idleman goes on to highlight that Jesus sees busyness through a different lens and warns of the potential outcomes of distraction, anxiety and misplaced emotion. 

On a similar note, we read in Matthew 7:13-14 about two roads that lead to different places. 

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:13-14

In the midst of trying to stay organised, up-to-date, and connected with everyone and everything around us, we can find ourselves unintentionally on the wrong road, as the Bible reminds us, which can lead to destruction. Kyle Idleman unpacks this challenge further in his book Not a Fan (Idleman, 2011). 

I am reminded of the importance of setting aside regular times each day, and throughout the busy seasons of the school year, to slow down and be present with Jesus for moments and for dedicated periods. This provides an opportunity to reflect on whether I am following Jesus and drawing closer to Him and His ways, or, by contrast, whether I am being influenced and misled by the distracted culture we can find ourselves in.

As we conclude Semester 1, I extend my thanks to our staff, parents and volunteers for their efforts in supporting our students to flourish. I pray that the upcoming school holidays provide our school community with a valuable time of refreshment, reflection and time with Jesus as we prepare for the second half of the year. 

Farewells

Over the past month, we have farewelled Marilyn Haylock, who has served Oxley Christian College for 15 ½ years and has had a teaching career spanning 55 years. We congratulate Marilyn on an outstanding career and her valuable contribution to our College community. 

We also recently announced that Verlin Govender (Secondary School Teacher) resigned in Term 2 to pursue an opportunity in the engineering field. The College is grateful for his service over the past two years and wishes God’s blessings on him and his family. 

At the end of Term 1, we farewelled Rhonda Burns (Secondary School Teacher) and sincerely thank her for her two years of valuable contribution and dedication to our school community.

This year, we have also farewelled Jessica Footit (Food Studies Assistant), Grace Kop and Sophia Joseph (Learning Support Assistants) and Emily Thomas and Rachel Hubbard (Casual Relief Teachers). We are grateful for their service to Oxley and wish them God’s every blessing in the next season of their lives. 

Curriculum Week

I look forward to connecting with our staff during the upcoming Curriculum Week (13 – 17 July), which will provide our team with an opportunity to continue considering how we can support the holistic formation of our students. A key element of the Curriculum Week will be time dedicated to further developing our curriculum in alignment with the Australian Curriculum (version 9) and the VCE Study Designs, while also considering how we can embed a Biblical Worldview Framework into our curriculum documentation to support students in encountering Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

We pray for a safe and refreshing break for our school community, so we can begin Semester 2 on Monday 20 July 2026, with a great start.

Working together, 

Mr Michael Bond

Principal

References

Idleman, K. (2016). Not a fan: Daily devotional. Zondervan Books. 

Idleman, K. (2011). Not a fan: Becoming a completely committed follower of Jesus. Zondervan Books.