From the Principal

Dear Friends,

We are delighted to welcome families into the new College year, and I anticipate the great start to the year bodes well for a successful term. I especially welcome families new to the College and trust it has been a smooth beginning at Oxley. Under this year’s College theme of dwelling on, and engaging with, those things true, good and beautiful in God’s creation and in learning, we are looking forward to Christian excellence in the formation of young lives entrusted to us at Oxley. One of our primary goals is to support students to grow in wisdom and virtue by the development of a worldview informed by faith. I encourage students to become involved in the many activities and opportunities available here. So, congratulations on being an Oxley College family with both the privileges and responsibilities that involves.

Another great beginning is the full use of the Middle School Building with its spacious classrooms and new technology. Thank you to our families for patience in getting to this stage. I know the students are enjoying these facilities. As soon as the old relocatable classrooms are removed, we will put the landscape plan into action. This will begin with the establishment of central green areas and purpose-built playgrounds, planting trees and making half courts for ball games. This will be extended during Semester 2 by a second phase of site development.

In an opening College assembly, I posed the question of inheritance. That is, what do students anticipate by being part of the College? What will they leave here with that has value? What is an Oxley inheritance? The College believes it has the things of high value in teaching and learning to pass on, a common inheritance of great value. Among them are the awesome skills of development in the academic disciplines, a great delight to be experienced in our cocurricular programs, and the opportunity to participate in the kingdom of God.  If Oxley can achieve these things, then we will have opened to students a very valuable inheritance.  It could even be said that the ultimate task of education is the cultivation; the refinement and nurturing of the human spirit. To teach students to know what it is true, good and beautiful, and to serve those things above self, to walk in step with the divine plan, and to recognize that in having this kind of knowledge, lies the responsibility for the good of others. 

Our society has lost all sense of civic virtue that is necessary to hold it together. In the rejection of truth and the common good, we see the unravelling of society. The Christian church knows it is a target of secular indignation, but it has a long experience of oppression on which it can draw wisdom. Referring to the tragic comedy of modern society, C. S. Lewis (The Abolition of Man) wrote, 

‘We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We live in an age of phony virtue and fabricated honour.’ 

Prophetically, Lewis spoke clearly into an age of virtue signalling among our cultural leaders who push a polarizing narrative and woke mindset. 

Warm regards

Douglas Peck