Junior School

As we conclude Term 2, I want to acknowledge the incredible efforts and dedication our staff and students have shown over the past 11 weeks. This term has been especially long, coupled with a cold and icy start to winter. Yet, the perseverance and commitment shown by our Junior School community have been unwavering. We recognise and are grateful for God’s continued faithfulness and strength that has supported us through this term. Well done to all of you for your outstanding work! Enjoy the well-deserved break over the next few weeks.  

On Friday 28 June, Semester 1 Reports will be available for families to access on SEQTA Engage. These reports focus on what your child ‘can’ do and provide information about the next steps in their learning journey. Celebrating your child’s achievement is a positive act, leading to opportunities to set realistic goals for future learning. We trust you enjoy this opportunity to applaud your child’s effort and growth as a learner. 

Semester 2 Parent-Teacher Interviews 

Staff, including our specialist teachers, look forward to meeting with parents in Term 3 to discuss Semester 1 reports and ways to support student learning at school and home. Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Thursday 25 July (4.00pm-8.30pm) and Friday 26 July (10.00am-4.00pm). Please note that Friday 26 July is a Student-Free Day.

ROAR Awards

Chapel in Week 9 was a special occasion as we celebrated our second round of ROAR awards for Term 2. We want to congratulate the following students for being ROARsome and showing Respect, Obedience, Acceptance, or Resilience. Your actions have not gone unnoticed, and we are proud of you. 

Baby News

The Oxley Christian College family is blossoming with new additions. Congratulations to Mrs Perry on the safe arrival of her adorable baby girl, Emma Ruth Perry, born on 2 June 2024. What a delightful blessing to welcome this little girl into the world. As we celebrate this joyous occasion, we also extend our warmest wishes to Mrs Shrivastav as she prepares to go on parental leave and awaits the birth of her own bundle of joy. Thank you, Mrs Shrivastav, for your dedication and incredible contribution to the Prep–Year 4 Performing Arts program. Your hard work and talent have truly enriched our community, and we pray God will bless you as you enter a new season in life – motherhood. 

Screen-Free Holiday 

As the winter holidays approach, I want to take the time to encourage parents to find a healthy balance between relaxation and screen time for their children. While digital devices offer endless entertainment and educational opportunities, ensuring our children engage in offline activities is important. Recommendations for screen time are around 2 hours for children aged 6 to 17; however, research has shown that the actual averages are much higher. Excessive screen time can lead to sleep disturbances, health issues, and poor academic performance. In 2024, figures show that, on average, children aged between 8 to 18 years spend 7.5 hours a day in front of screens for entertainment alone, which amounts to 114 days a year. Over the next few weeks, encourage your child to enjoy the holidays by reading books, playing board games, exploring outdoor activities, and spending quality time with family and friends. By setting screen time limits and promoting various activities, we can help our students return to school refreshed and ready to learn.

Screen-Free Holiday Ideas:

• Painting and Drawing: Set up a mini art studio with paints, crayons, markers, and paper. Try themed drawing sessions, like winter landscapes or favourite animals.
• Craft Projects: Create jewellery with beads or pasta.
• Clay Modelling: Use air-dry clay or homemade playdough to sculpt figures and objects.
• Collage Making: Use old magazines, newspapers, and coloured paper to create collages.
• Board Games and Puzzles: Play family-favourite board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Candy Land, or work on jigsaw puzzles together.
• Treasure Hunt: Create a treasure map and hide small items around the house for the kids to find.
• Indoor Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course using cushions, chairs, and other household items.
• Card Games: Teach and play classic card games like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, or Uno.
• Reading Time: Have a daily storytime session with books suited to their age. Create a cosy reading nook.
• Science Experiments: Conduct simple experiments like baking soda and vinegar volcanoes or making slime.
• Cooking and Baking: Let kids help in the kitchen by baking cookies, making homemade pizza, or preparing a simple meal.
• Dance Party: Play some music and have a dance party in the living room.
• Fitness Challenges: Set daily or weekly fitness goals, like a certain number of push-ups, jumping jacks, or yoga poses.
• Balloon Games: Play balloon volleyball or keep the balloon in the air as long as possible.
• Dress-Up and Role Play: Use old clothes or costumes for dress-up and imaginative play. Create a “theatre” and perform plays or skits.
• Building Forts: Use blankets, pillows, and furniture to build indoor forts and playhouses.
• Pretend Cooking: Use toy kitchen sets or real utensils to pretend to cook and serve meals.
• LEGO and Building Blocks: Spend time building intricate structures with LEGO or other building blocks.
• DIY Projects: Create simple DIY projects like making a birdhouse, a photo frame, or a small bookshelf.
• Gardening Indoors: Plant seeds in pots and learn about taking care of indoor plants.
• Storytelling: Encourage kids to create and tell their own stories.
• Journaling: Encourage children to keep a journal or diary to express their thoughts and feelings.

What every parent needs to know about Roblox

Roblox's popularity has spiked and now stands at a staggering 216 million monthly active players worldwide. As I speak to students throughout our Junior School, this level of traction is evident amongst our students at Oxley. Although on the surface, Roblox may look like any other child-friendly game, earlier this term, Marty McGauran from Inform and Empower shared with us that this is not the case. Here are a few facts you may not be aware of:

• There are large amounts of horror content on Roblox;
• Adult content is easily accessible;
• There are weapons to be found in many games;
• Direct (private) messaging with any other player is incredibly easy;
• Many users are not children.

It is essential that parents take an active interest in their child's Roblox activities. Playing together can help you understand what your child is experiencing. I would also encourage parents to regularly discuss with their children what they are playing and who they are interacting with. Open communication can help identify and address any concerns. By understanding these aspects of Roblox, parents can ensure that children are kept safe. For further information, please see the post on the College App. 

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)

As previously communicated, we are offering students in Years 3 to 6 the opportunity to participate in the University of New South Wales ICAS competitions. These competitions are for students across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies. Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion. Oxley Christian College - Junior School will run Digital Technologies, English, Maths and Science. For further information regarding ordering, please refer to the post on the College App on 13 May. All orders must be placed by Monday 22 July 2024. 

Junior School Production 

With the Year 6 auditions complete and the roles determined, the Junior School Production for 2024 is well underway. This year, we will present to you Finding Nemo Jr, to be held at LMC on the evenings of Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 September. All Prep to Year 6 students will participate, and we look forward to seeing students shine on stage. Please put these dates in your diary today and look out for further information about ticket sales and costume requirements in Term 3.

As we close Term 2, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our families for their continued support and involvement in our school community. We pray that the winter break will be a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable time for all our families. Take this time to unwind, create wonderful memories, and recharge. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for an exciting and productive Semester 2.

The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" Exodus 33:14

Amy Liddle

Head of Junior School