Volume Two, Friday 18th February 2022

What keeps amazing me about Oakhill College is the depth and breadth of faith and service that comes so naturally to our young men and women. Families ought to be proud and praised for the tradition of faith and service they have nurtured in their children.

On Wednesday 2nd March the Christian Church will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Lent is a period of 40 days of renewal, renewal in its many forms - health and wellbeing as well as spiritual and moral - through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, atonement, and self-denial. A time of self-reflection and self-purification. A time to revise, review, and rework our priorities and attitudes so that at Easter we can celebrate a renewed commitment to good deeds and actions for the coming year.

In the English/Anglican tradition the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday. The word shrove is a form of the English word shrive, which means to obtain forgiveness for one's wrongdoings by way of confession and good deeds (penance). The custom of Pancake Tuesday developed as a means to clear the pantry of perishable foods at the end of winter that could not be kept for the 40 days of Lent - 40 days of fasting and penance to help focus on a renewed commitment to good deeds and actions for the coming year.

In the Latin cultures of Portugal, Spain, South America and Italy the custom evolved similarly but less somber known as Mardi Gra, Fat Tuesday, or Carnival, from the Medieval Latin word carnelevamen meaning ‘the putting away of flesh’.

I wish you all the best and hope you all, whatever custom or tradition, can journey with us as we focus on Lent in order to review, reflect and re-commit to good deeds and actions and the service of others.

I wish you well.
Keep well.

Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal

The power of our theme 'Include' lies in the benefits we get from being a part of something bigger than ourselves. To participate and contribute meaningfully to our community breeds a sense of well-being that is priceless. Have a good look at all the ways you might contribute to build our community this year. Non-inclusive communities define themselves in terms of what they are against; Lasallian communities define themselves in terms of what we stand for – gospel values.

We pray for Mr Robert Tesoriero, Nathan Jones' (Year 7 Dean) grandfather, and Mr Steve Molloy afsc, former Oakhill College Bursar for over 20 years, and father-in-law of Mr Jeff Sutton from our Maintenance Department. Mr Molloy was also an affiliated member of the De La Salle Brothers.

Eternal rest grant to Steve and Robert O’ Lord,
May their soul and all souls of the departed, rest in eternal peace.
May all the celestial lights shine forever upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

Covid has never stopped us at Oakhill. We have continued to evolve and tailor our spiritual formation even in this difficult climate. Our 2022 Dedication Liturgy was live-streamed from the College Chapel to each Tutor class. Our staff lit a special Oakhill candle with their Tutor students, in unison with Br Steve Hogan who lit our Oakhill College candle, signifying that although we cannot all be together in person, we are still one strong community.

The theme this year is "include", and this Liturgy set the challenge for our community to embrace inclusivity throughout all aspects of our lives.

Our Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, we dedicate this new school year to you. 
Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us.
Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings.
Open our hearts and minds to new friends and new teachers.
Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with our studies and courage to accept new opportunities.
Help us to “include” in all our relationships, both at Oakhill and outside the College.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Many Blessings for 2022, 

Mrs Laurainne Marshall
Head of Prayer and Liturgy

On Friday 11th February Miguel House held their Miguel House Liturgy. Saint Miguel Febres Cordero was born Francisco Luis Febres-Cordero y Muñoz on the 7th November 1854 and died on the 9th February 1910. Miguel studied hard, became a great teacher and Brother and was Ecuador’s first canonised saint. At 15 years old Miguel was already teaching religion and Spanish in the Brother's school in Quito. By 20 Miguel was well known in the Spanish world for producing textbooks. He was seconded to Belgium in 1905 to translate texts from French to Spanish including work for governments and universities. Miguel died from pneumonia on 9th February 1910. In 1937 his remains were returned to Quito the capital of Ecuador where he was still revered very much. Pope John Paul II canonised Miguel a saint in 1984. 

On Friday 19th Mutien House held their Mutien House Liturgy. Saint Mutien Wiaux was born Louis Wiaux on March 20, 1841, in a small village in French-speaking Belgium where almost everyone was a devout practicing Catholic. His father was a blacksmith, while his mother helped to run a small cafe in part of the family home. Louis proved neither physically nor emotionally suited to his father’s trade; he was convinced that the Lord was calling him to a different kind of work. Louis joined the De La Salle Brother’s in Malonne where he spent fifty-eight years teaching. He had difficulties at first coping with the demands of teaching. He eventually found his niche in teaching music and became a tremendous influence on the students by his patience and evident piety. After his death at Malonne in 1917, his fame began to spread throughout Belgium, where many miracles were attributed to him. Mutien was canonized saint in 1989.

Late last year, FDC the construction company building our Innovation Hub worked with us to offer a scholarship to graduate from the Class of 2021. We are pleased to announce that Jacob Liddle is the proud recipient of this scholarship. Jacob will attend university and also work part-time at FDC as a cadet, on-site at Oakhill College, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, while being paid.

Excitingly FDC has also offered a cadetship to two other graduates from the Class of 2021 due to their service record, co-curricular interests, academics, work ethic, and personal skills, once again highlighting how sought after the Oakhill Graduate is. Congratulations to Paige Ellison and Kristian Knezevic. This job experience while they study is invaluable. 

FDC is also offering a scholarship to an Oakhill student from the Class of 2022 to commence early 2023. Any student who is interested should contact our Careers Department in preparation for this opportunity.

Mrs Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Co-ordinator

Oakhill is holding its annual Open Day on Sunday 5th March from 10.00am-2.00pm. Please share with any prospective families that you may know. We are currently enrolling boys in Year 7, 2025 and girls in Year 11, 2024. Parents can complete an online Expression of Interest form for their child, from birth to remain on our database here: https://oc-au-nsw-340.app.digi...

Bookings are essential and can be made here: https://www.oakhill.nsw.edu.au...

A reminder that the first instalment for 2022 College fees (one-third of your annual fees) was due on Tuesday 15th February unless you pay in instalments via School Easy Pay Direct Debit. Fee statements were issued prior to the beginning of the term.

Could you please organise payment if not already made or contact the Accounts Receivable Office on 9899 2288 if there are any matters relating to your statement that you need to discuss.

Oakhill is proud of our students. We have many students who achieve not only academically, but by attaining the Oakhill Graduate's attributes, they can go on to further study, apprenticeships, and coveted roles after they 'walk down the drive'. Over the next few newsletters, we will showcase some of our HSC Achievers. This week is our Dux and All Rounder Noah, and All Rounders: James, Olivia and Marco:

By Antoine de Saint-Exupery

On Monday, assessment handbooks for Year 7-12 will be available for all students. Through Learning@Oakhill, students and parents can access explicit information about what the child is learning and how they will be assessed. Armed with this information, students can plan for success and parents can support their child in this endeavour.

Handbooks will be emailed to parents and will also be available on the student and parent portals. Click on “Learning” in the portal to find the schedules. Learning plans for the term are also available in Learning@Oakhill, which is accessed from the same Learning tab. The calendar contains the specific assessment dates for the year. Parents of younger students are encouraged to sit with their child and help them record the dates in their College diary and support them to backward map their tasks. For example, if a report is due in Week 8, what can the student do in this week that is going to help them get started? Some students will need help to break down how to approach an assessment task.

Here is an example:

Monday: Brainstorm the topic
Tuesday: search for material
Wednesday: read, highlight and make notes
Thursday: work on planning the structure of the report
Saturday: write draft one

Monday: edit, redraft
Wednesday: write draft two.
Thursday: ask someone to read over the draft.

There will be times when your child does not receive homework for a subject and during these times, students should be encouraged to either read or devote some time to planning or working on formal assessment. Students at Oakhill are given assessment notifications very early in the term, but it can take time for students to learn to manage themselves and break down a task. Learning to manage oneself is a great skill that prepares students for the world of tertiary study or work. If we can help students get into great habits early on, this will set them up to be independent learners and reduce any stress that can come with assessment.

It is very important to note that the way we assess and report has changed significantly since most parents went to school. Students are awarded an overall achievement grade that reflects how well they have met the standards of each course. This grade is reflective of both formative/informal and formal assessments. What the student does each day in the classroom makes a difference. Every lesson counts and sustained and due diligence are of paramount importance. I encourage parents to engage your children in regular conversation about the importance of application to the classwork and homework.

Mrs Melissa McMahon
Assistant Principal Curriculum

All students learn differently. A learning style is an approach one may take towards their learning . . . . how a student learns best . . . an approach that students prefer and that works for THEM when absorbing, processing, comprehending, and retaining new information.

It is essential that students discover their preferred learning style so that their preferred mode can be matched with the appropriate learning strategies.

The stakes are high! HOW you ask?

Using approaches that mimic how students learn best, will work to their advantage when they complete class tasks and for examination revision.

Some reflective questions to spark a learning conversation with your son or daughter may include:

How do you take notes in the classroom?

What format do you use to organise your notes?

Do you rely on technology or do you alternate with pen and paper approaches too?

Are you good at retaining information when you listen to your teacher?

Does the use of colour help you to categorise information?

Do you feel like you need to get up and ‘feel’ the content taught with hands-on activities?

Common Characteristics of Three Main Types of Learners

Take the Test - What is your preferred learning style?

For 5 minutes, encourage your son or daughter to complete the questionnaire linked to determine their preferred learning style - Learning Styles Questionnaire

The score will appear on the page at the conclusion of the test as such:

Mrs Jacqui Genovese
Director of Student Learning

As a response to the Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Catholic Church has established The National Catholic Safeguarding Standards. These Standards are designed to be implemented by all Catholic entities across Australia. Part of the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards is the education of students and families to promote child safety.

Oakhill College has at the forefront of its education the health and safety of every student and so, on Tuesday 15th February and Wednesday 16th February, a session on Safeguarding was presented to students in Years 9, 10 and 12. All grades will be addressed at some stage throughout the year.

The College encourages family conversations around Safeguarding to ensure that all our students remain happy, healthy and safe, both at school, and in the wider community.

Ms Deborah Gillis
Assistant Principal, Pastoral Care

School zone safety is everyone's responsibility. Below is some reminder information about parking and traffic rules. 

eSafety is here to help all Australians have safe and positive experiences online.

For the first time, eSafety is looking for 20 young Australians between 13 and 24 years to join a new Youth Advisory Council – an opportunity to represent people like them and create a safer online world for our future.

The 20 diverse young people chosen will help shape programs, policy, and content to help keep their friends and family safe from harm and maximise the benefits of online connections.

eSafety will welcome applications from young people with diverse experiences, and a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

eSafety will facilitate and support the Youth Advisory Council to share their vision of what a safer online world could look like. In doing this, eSafety is committed to amplifying the voice of the Council and providing the opportunity for meaningful input to policies and programs. 

The application process is easy, and eSafety encourages even those young people without formal leadership experience, to apply or for more information, please visit esafety.gov.au.

Mr Peter Morrissey
Infrastructure Technical Lead

Headspace are running an online webinar about helping Parents and Carers connect and communicate with young people around their mental health and wellbeing.

For further details and to book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/...

As part of the LEAP Transition program Year 7 have been to the Library twice to learn about expectations and the facilities available to them. 

Students enjoyed participating in a team event using the Goosechase app on their phones. The aim was to develop the skill of working in a team and the thorough reading of questions whilst exploring the Library.

You might like to ask your son about Goosechase and how their team went.

We aim to challenge, encourage and motivate students to be better readers in comprehension, speed, accuracy and attitude. We have two community reading boxes in the College grounds. If you have pre-loved books that could fill our community reading boxes send them in with your son/daughter or drop them in at Student Services.

Study Boost reading - On Mondays we have students come along to improve their reading. We started off using Microsoft Teams Progress Reader. Students read aloud a passage and they are given a score for speed and accuracy. It is hoped that over time their scores will grow and their confidence will build. We had four Year 11 students supporting the juniors. They listened to students read, talked about books in general and participated in a fun book hunt around the library. It's great to see the willingness of students to participate.

Oakhill College Library Staff

Every Thursday at lunchtime the Brainstretchers Club meet in SO102. We hope you can join us for this exciting enrichment opportunity.

Ms Stella Papavasiliou
Enrichment Co-ordinator

Oakhill College summer sport continues this weekend with two highlights on our program being the 1st XI Cricket on Damien Oval and the Girls 1st V basketball in the CSC. 

Our 1st XI Cricket side played a 30 over per innings game on Thursday only to be washed out again. Oakhill were in the chase, with an impressive 203 runs from St Augustine’s when the lightning and rain put stop to everything. Game on again Saturday.

Games to watch this Saturday:

• 1st XI Cricket v St Stanislaus – 10.00am Damien Oval
• 1st V Girls Basketball – CSC at 1.00pm

Oakhill Swimming Carnivals

Oakhill’s best swimmers were in the pool on Wednesday morning at the Oakhill Championship Carnival. We will announce our age champions in the coming weeks.

From the Championship Carnival, we selected a swim squad for the Barker Invitational. The Thursday night meet came down to the last race. Oakhill and Barker could not be split. Will Hopkins stepped up to represent Oakhill in a ‘swim off’ for 1st place. Will, Year 9, was matched against Barkers best 17-year-old swimmer and lost by a touch on the wall. 

Year 7 and 8 will continue to participate in their Carnivals during Tuesday sports lessons and the remaining Carnivals will be held on Tuesday 1st March.

COVID Protocols

COVID protocols are in place at each home and away venue, and we do ask that players and spectators (if spectators are allowed) respect the protocols in place throughout the term. Oakhill College will ask that we restrict basketball spectators to one parent and for outdoor sports (Cricket and Touch Football) two parent spectators.

Team of the Week

Well done to our 1sts Boys Basketball team who started the season with a good win over St Patrick’s Strathfield. The boys have a bye this week but will continue their quest for an ISA Premiership next week.

Play of the Day

Will Hopkins swim on Thursday at the Barker Invitational Swimming Carnival.

Oakhill Sports Lunch - Friday 17th June. Save the date. Don’t miss out.

Mr Andrew Wisemantel
Head of Sport 

The Oakhill College 2022 Trivia Night 'On the Farm' tickets are now on sale. We look forward to a night of fun, laughter, great prizes and some friendly competition. 

When: Saturday 19th March
Time: From 6.00pm to 10:30pm
Where: Benildus Hall, Oakhill College
Price: $20 per person
Tickets: On sale now

Simply scan the QR code below or go to buy tickets now

You can book a table of 8, or when booking tickets there is an option to request to be allocated to a table with your child’s year group, sports team, Tutor or friendship group. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents at the College.

All proceeds from the night will be used to purchase a Display Booth for the Agriculture Show Team to take to shows such as The Royal  Easter Show.

Being part of and feeling welcome to the Oakhill Community is an essential part of Oakhill’s P&F events. Last year’s Trivia Night was a lot of fun and very successful so don’t miss out on being part of the fun. Tickets sold out in less than a fortnight last year as numbers are limited. This event is for adults only (18+).

If you need any more information or have any questions, please email pandf@oakhill.nsw.edu.au. This is a Covid safe event, tickets are limited and won’t last long.

We look forward to you joining us.

Ms Simone Marshall
Welcome Event Co-ordinator

Please note that Flexischools orders are available for students to collect from the Uniform Shop on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at recess and lunch. 

Please allow time to process your order - available on the collection day after the due date on your invoice.

Uniform Shop Opening Hours are:

Mondays - 8.00am-11.30am
Thursdays - 1.30pm-5.00pm
1st Saturday of the month - 9.00am-12noon