From the Principal
Dear Friends,
Our final two weeks of the College year have held many blessings for our community. I refer to the major events like the Year 6 Graduation dinner and ceremony, the scaled-back Senior School Presentation Evening, the Senior School gala ensemble concerts and our final assemblies for each section. Although these events were remarkable for their quality alone, they were so much more special because of being able to have families present. There was a lovely ambience around the public events as families and friends remained on site for conversations and catch up, and to farewell the staff retiring from College life.
In gratitude for their service to Oxley, we acknowledge with deep affection the retirements of longstanding colleagues in Bruce Anderson (ICT Helpdesk), Ruilan Yuan (Languages), Claudia Weller (Visual Art), and Sharee Gaiser (Head of Junior School). We also thank and farewell Rae-Helen Fisenden (Vocal Instructor), Mel Brydon (Administration Office), and Joanne Schaeche (Canteen Assistant). Staff moving to other schools include Rhiannon Coates, Emma Allison, Jasmine Sien, Mitchell Gaiser and Riley Moran. All staff leaving Oxley are prayerfully commended to the new season of their life journey.
It has been a great pleasure to congratulate and welcome the new student leadership teams for next year and to single out for special recognition the College Captains and Vice Captains. Our prayers accompany the appointments of Sophie Broadley-Thomson and Mattias Talpan as College Captains, supported by Sophie Gates and Jack Powell as Vice Captains. All our student leadership roles have been filled by students receiving the greatest support from staff and students, so we anticipate a high level of community support among the Oxley community.
There are many acknowledgements we could and should make among Oxley families and staff. Everyone has their own experience and offering to make towards the common good. The biblical perspective of a body with all its parts working in harmony comes to mind, and we are grateful for each area of our organisation that makes the success of the whole possible. We are thankful for the recognition each area rightfully receives from both within and outside the College. But at Christmas time we are also reminded of a much bigger picture involving the acts of grace and love by God that see us celebrating the birth of the Christ child. In this event, we are compellingly reminded of who has made the cosmos and therefore who owns it. We are brought to our senses about to whom our worship and gratitude is rightfully directed. A meditation on Psalm 2 is still perfectly appropriate for these times of confusion, unrest and turbulence. My slightly edited version of its irresistible message follows.
Why are the nations in uproar, their people grumbling in vain?
The Earth’s rulers conspire together and take positions against the Lord and His anointed one.
They throw off the chains of restraint against evil.
But He who sits in heaven laughs and looks at them in derision, and in His anger, rebukes them.
He says, I have installed My King on Zion and have proclaimed Him as my Son.
I will make the nations His inheritance and He will break their rebellion and shatter them like a clay pot.
Therefore, rulers, be wise; and judges of the Earth, be warned.
Give My Son the kiss of peace lest you perish because of His anger.
Indeed, how blessed are the people who take refuge in Him.
Warm regards and Christmas blessings.
Dr Douglas Peck