From the Principal

Congratulations to our students, staff, and broader school community on a marvellous Term 3. It has been wonderful observing our students embrace the opportunity to actively participate in a broad range of extra-curricular activities throughout the term. A highlight during the past week has been our Wellbeing Week celebrations. At Oxley Christian College, we know the wellbeing of our students and staff is paramount. Our Strategic Education Plan highlights our commitment to providing a nurturing environment where individuals feel safe, valued, and supported in their spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical growth. Wellbeing Week has provided us with an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate how assisting our students to feel safe, valued, and connected supports them to flourish in every aspect of their lives.

We have valued the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of student performances during the past term, including the Middle Years production of Frozen JR., under the direction of Miss Claire Hogan, and the Junior School production of Alice in Wonderland JR., under the direction of Mr Jeffrey Clarke. Our productions at Oxley Christian College provide an opportunity for our students to connect and showcase their skills across the Arts of music, drama and dance. Our students delighted in performing to booked out audiences consisting of friends, family, and staff. Congratulations to the cast and whole production team for showcasing two outstanding musicals.

It has also been an outstanding term for our sport teams, with students competing across a broad range of events and competitions. Three of our Senior School teams won premierships in the Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne (EISM) Weekly Sport competition. We celebrate our Girls and Boys Netball teams on their premierships, as well as our Boys Basketball team with their 2025 premiership. We also commend our Girls Badminton, Volleyball and Table Tennis teams alongside our Boys Badminton team on achieving Runners Up this year. We have also celebrated the exceptional performances of many of our Junior School students in the recent District Athletics competition. Sport at Oxley Christian College continues to provide our students with a chance to demonstrate character and develop a broad range of skills, including teamwork, perseverance, respect, discipline, decision-making and problem-solving. Thank you to the many staff who have supported our teams this term.

A special highlight this term has been the accomplishments of our Year 9 Debating students. At the time of writing this article, our team has just recently advanced to the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) Octo-finals. Our team of students have done a wonderful job collaborating to prepare for this rigorous activity, which challenges students with their critical thinking and public speaking skills. Thank you to Mrs Rebekah Paul for her amazing efforts supporting all our debating students to participate in this competition.

This year, Christian Schools Australia (CSA) in partnership with Research Schools International, and the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University published a report on Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools. The report documented several distinct themes linked with student flourishing in Australian Christian schools. A significant finding of the report highlighted the importance of student-student and teacher-student relationships and the role these relationships play in student flourishing. This outcome is of no surprise to our school community, with Connection being a central focus at Oxley Christian College this year. John 15:5 continues to remind us of the importance of connection with one another and with Christ.

I am the vine; you are the branches.

If you remain in Me and I in you,

you will bear much fruit;

apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

As I reflect on the many amazing outcomes achieved by our students during the past term, in the fields of performing arts, sport, debating, and other academic endeavours, I can see the importance of connection. When our students are supported to work collaboratively with the support of dedicated staff at the College they have achieved some amazing outcomes. We also know the significance of our relationship with God and how this relationship is central to everything that we do. The Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools report also highlighted the importance of spirituality in student flourishing and outlined practices that support students with their faith formation.

The report also outlines the significance of the role of parents and extended family and the role they play in supporting students to flourish. At Oxley, we are so grateful for the ongoing partnership we have with families and the opportunity to work collaboratively to support our students to flourish with their learning and wellbeing. It has been wonderful seeing our parents in the audience during several recent events. Our staff also valued the opportunity to connect with parents at the Parent Teacher Interviews during Term 3, which provided an authentic chance to meet to support our students to flourish. Our partnership with parents is something we value and nurture throughout the year.

I am so grateful Oxley Christian College is a place where our students can experience a sense of belonging, feel safe, and have strong connections with their classmates and staff. Likewise, our students, staff and families are in an environment where Christ is at the centre of all that we do, which supports all of us to flourish. We give thanks to God that we can abide in Him and find strength in Him in all circumstances.

At Oxley Christian College, we continue to concentrate on the holistic formation of every student. We diligently, in partnership with all the parents in our school community, work towards seeing our students flourish in every aspect of their lives.

During September, we welcomed Mrs Vanessa Cheng, CEO for the Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS) to Oxley Christian College. AACS represents nearly one hundred schools across Australia. I appreciated the chance to connect with Vanessa and to discuss some of the challenges relating to the provision of Christian education in Australia, while also reflecting on many of the wonderful initiatives taking place in Christian schools. I valued the opportunity to connect with Vanessa and appreciate the work AACS are doing to support Christian schools in every state and territory.

On behalf of the College staff, I wish everyone a refreshing two weeks during the upcoming school holidays. We look forward to another wonderful term to conclude the 2025 school year. We continue to give thanks to God for the many ways we have been blessed this year and give thanks for His goodness and grace. 

Working together,

Michael Bond

Principal 

Reference

Christian Schools Australia. (2025). Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools.