Volume Nineteen, 4th December 2020

Theologian, Karl Rahner SJ, once said, isn’t Christmas a time when God gives us permission to be a happy? So why not? Christmas is also a time when we are reminded that there was no room for him at the inn. Peoples’ busy lives and expectations kept them from offering him a place to be born. That hasn’t changed.

Abbott, Ron Rolheiser OMI explains it is complex.  In the days leading up to Christmas, many of us struggle to do all the things we need to do to be ready for all that needs to happen at home and work. We need to shop for gifts, send out cards, put up lights and decorations, plan menus, buy food, attend a goodly number of Christmas socials. This, added on to the normal pressures within our lives, not infrequently leaves us with the feeling: I’m not going to make it! I won’t be ready! I won’t be ready for Christmas! Regretfully this hasn’t changed either.

Rolheiser says being ready for Christmas ought not depend upon getting everything neatly checked off on our to-do list: gifts, done; cards, done; decorations, done; food, ready; the requisite number of social obligations, completed. If you find yourself greeting your family, friends and neighbours with a little more warmth, compassion and understanding then you have made room in the Inn, you have taken on the message and purpose of Christ this Christmas. This we can change.

Last Sunday was the First Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ. Advent is a time of hope and aspiration – it is foundational to be people of hope. Hope that the USA and China will resolve their trade disputes; hope that we can come together to implement resolutions to reduce global warming and climate change; hope that there will be peace in countries of war so that families can have stability and enjoy the progress that peace brings; hope that our concerns will be resolved; hope that this virus will go away. Being people of hope, this we can change.

Finally, I would like to conclude the last Newsletter for the year by recognising the incredible talent and achievement of our students both in the more recognisable fields of academics, music, dance, drama, and sports, but also in the fields of speech and debating, service and mission, velour, and virtue – even the more so because of the impact of COVID-19 on our normal lives. The Oakhill graduate of 2020 is even more grounded and future ready, articulate and confident, polite and respectful.

In recognising these fine achievements of our students, I am particularly conscious of, and give recognition to, the dedication of all staff and their hard work and commitment to their students. I would like to thank the College Senior Leadership Team, Mr Munday (DP), Ms Gillis (AP Pastoral Care), Ms Garofano (AP Curriculum), and Mrs Forrest (Bursar and Operations Manager); the Academic and Pastoral Heads, Deans, Coordinators and teachers. I acknowledge especially too the leadership of Mr Chris Goodman, Director of Mission, who continues to inspire and grow the College’s awareness and response to our call to service – an act of hope. I acknowledge Mr Wisemantel our Head of Sport in his role in promoting participation, sportsmanship, the attainment of excellence, and above all, enjoyment in sport at Oakhill College. I acknowledge the hard work of our administrative staff and our grounds and maintenance staff who work tirelessly to ensure the College is maintained to the highest standards. I would also like to thank Mr Puleo, Chairperson, and the Board for their support and guidance of the College.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers including the Canteen and Uniform Shop volunteers; the Parents & Friends Committee; Sports Teams; those who attend drop-off and pick up for sports practice, Drama, Music, Debating and the Show Team. This list goes on – to all, thank you.

To all students of 2020, thank you for your hard work, mental toughness, discipline, and determination to succeed at whatever the task, whatever the pain, and to accept both success and failure that are always part of one’s journey. This year is a chronicle, a testament (given COVID), to both your attitude and your achievements as men and women of justice, tenderness, and humility, striving for excellence in all you do, being the best self that you can be. Make room for Jesus in the inn his summer, be good, be kind, be compassionate in all you do, think, and say.

May the good Lord bless you all.
Wishing you a happy and Holy Christmas and a restful summer.

Because a thing is difficult for you, do not therefore suppose it to be beyond mortal power. On the contrary, if anything is possible and proper for man to do, assume that it must fall within your own capacity. (Marcus Aurelius)

We have now finalised our arrangements for the last week of Term 4. They have been slightly modified from original plans in order to adhere to the current advice and guidelines received by the College from Catholic Schools NSW regarding COVID-19. The last day of school for students in Years 10 and 11 will be Monday 7th December. The last day of school for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will be Tuesday 8th December. All parents and students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are reminded that attendance on the applicable last day of school is both compulsory and expected (see below for further details).               

Parent Attendance at End of Year Masses and Awards Assembly
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 no parents can attend either of the College End of Year Masses because of our numbers and the square metre rule. However, we hope we will be able to offer a number of seats for parents to attend either or both the Year 10 and/or Years 7, 8 and 9 Awards Assemblies. 

Lockers
All students are required to ensure that their locks are removed and that their lockers are empty by Tuesday 8th December. The College takes no responsibility for student property that is left in lockers. Lockers will be opened and cleaned over the summer vacation.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Bob Munday
Deputy Principal

With the end of the year fast approaching, it is a good time to reflect on your approach to school this year and what you have learnt from the challenges you faced. So as the holidays approach, take a moment to do a short SWOT analysis on your personal approach to school and learning. You may also like to discuss these questions with a teacher, parent or friend.

Strengths: 

• What did you do well at school this year? 
• What subjects or topics were you good at? 
• What worked for you in your approach to learning? 
• What are you proud of achieving? 
• What new skills did you develop?

Weaknesses:

• What were your greatest challenges in achieving your personal best at school?
• What did you find difficult this year?
• What skills do you feel need more work?
• What areas of your approach did you struggle with?
• When did you feel not confident about your ability to succeed?

Opportunities:

• What could you do to build your strengths and deal with your weaknesses?
• Who did you encounter this year that might be able to help you on this journey?
• What will be different about next year that will create opportunities to change?
• What could you personally do differently in your approach to school next year?
• What one thing could you change that would make the biggest difference to you being a more effective learner?

Threats:

• What are the biggest obstacles to you making changes in your approach?
• Are there other students you sit with who make learning difficult?
• What is stopping you from achieving the top marks you are capable of achieving? 
• What challenges do you face in staying motivated to do your work for school?
• What challenges do you face in managing distractions and procrastination?

A note to parents: In these school holidays, it is important for students to have a decent break, recharge and spend time with friends and family doing things they enjoy. That said – keeping your child’s brain switched on in the areas of  literacy or numeracy is also critical, so some practice on a regular basis over the holidays would not go astray. My previous article gave some useful tips on how to achieve this!

It is essential, however, that Year 11 students allocate some time these school holidays consolidating the work from Year 11, ensuring study notes are up to date and they are organised and prepared for the challenges ahead in Year 12. All students may find it useful to complete some of the study skills units over the holidays, particularly on their areas of weakness.

Our school’s subscription details to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au are: 

Username:        foroakhillonly
Password:        41results (the 1 is a number) 

Wishing the Oakhill Community a safe and restful Christmas,

Ms Rose Garofano
Assistant Principal Curriculum

As we head towards the end of term, your son or daughter is encouraged to visit the P J Walsh Library to pick out a book or two to read in the holidays. Books loaned out next week will be due back on first day of Term 1, 2021. The Library team are skilled at matching readers to books regardless of reading ability so take a moment to pop in and find a great read!

Accessing print is a daily activity in the normal course of a school day and for many students, this is a straightforward task. However, in every school community, there exists a number of students for whom reading, or more precisely, decoding, is effortful; the good news is that we have a number of technology options that can assist learners in ‘cracking the code’.

I have compiled a list of Assistive Technology options that may be available for your daughter or son to set up on her/his laptop; these suggestions are appropriate for all students in all years. (I may have used the ‘Dictate’ function when writing my reports this term!)

Please note that the availability and functionality of these features depends on a range of factors including your hardware and your version of the software. Some of the features mentioned below may NOT be available on your laptop or may have a different name or may be sitting under a different menu. The guide here works for a school-issued MacBook Pro.

My hope is that this will be a starting point for students to explore some accessibility features for themselves and will reap the benefits of having text read from the screen or text written via dictation. I have sent these instructions to a trial group of students and for the most part all the options were available to them.

Please ask ICT to assist you with your personal laptop if you are unable to switch on any of these assistive technology options.

Thanks go to Alison Peacock in the Library for systematic testing of the suggested accessibility features.

Monica Watts
Academic Head of Learning Support

The Sustainable School Shop has now uploaded our Year 7-11 Booklists for 2021 onto their website. If any parents are interested in purchasing second hand books or uniforms, they may purchase them directly via: www.sustainableschoolshop.com....

After a two week nomination, interview and voting process, the Year 9 Leaders for 2021 have been announced. The boys were involved in an interview style process, where they were asked questions in front of their peers, which some found quite challenging, but agreed that it was a necessary process that allowed them to be extended and think on their feet.

We wish these students well in their roles.

Over the past week, our Year 10s have been involved in our Year 10 Transition Program. The purpose of our program has been to broaden Year 10s minds and equip them with some more life skills as they journey through the transition from boyhood into young men, and as they leave junior years of school to enter into either their HSC years of study or start a career outside of Oakhill College. The theme that has underpinned the whole program has been honour and respect, and a further exploration of the identity of men in today's world has been threaded into many of the week’s sessions. The program has also been planned so that our students attain not only life skills, but also to give them an understanding about where they fit into the world and the important part they play, as well as understanding that their actions make an impact not only on themselves, but on other peoples lives.

The program included special guest speakers such as Jack Ellis from Enlighten Education, Goodfellas, The Panel of Men, attaining White Cards, CPR training, LYL training, Year 10 Stepping Up and Career options and completing NESA’s All My Own Work, a mandatory part of moving into Year 11. We were also lucky that some of our students helped by sharing their own thoughts and observations as part of the week’s sessions. 

On Tuesday, our guest speaker Jack spoke passionately to the boys about the many myths and pressures that surround them today. His frank and honest discussion captivated the boys from the beginning with powerful messages of respect, emotion and breaking down stereotypes, allowing the boys to recognise and enhance the strengths and differences, that they, our young men, our good fellas can make in the world.

The Walk the Talk education initiative program was launched in 2019 to fifteen schools, and Oakhill College was one of these schools. This pioneering program builds awareness of domestic violence and women’s homelessness and Walk the Talk empowers young people to support local women and children in need by ‘adopting’ a local shelter. Oakhill’s adopted shelter is The Sanctuary, whom we have already raised over $3,000 for, and made numerous donations to, since the program’s inception. This program was delayed due to COVID, and unfortunately, we haven’t been able to enact all our planned fundraising activities. However, this fundraising program will continue next year for our students.

On Wednesday, Year 10 students listened to presentations by Mrs Castor and Ms Garafono on Year 11 expectations and pathways beyond school. Three Year 10 students, Marcus Bruzzano, Matthew Cochrane and Harrison Mair also presented on the findings from the recent ‘Steppin Up’ Study Skills Program which Year 10 completed during recent Religious Education lessons, facilitated by the College Librarians. The findings demonstrated that Year 10 students know the distractors to study success as well as the strategies to overcome these. They were challenged to take a longer view and to step up as they prepare for senior studies or other pathway. Click here to view their reflections.

On Friday, our Panel of Men, titled 'Be Brave' was hosted by two of Oakhill’s teachers Mr Nathan Jones and Mr Matthew Rath and was a targeted session where four guest speakers shared insights from their life experiences. Our guest speakers, Tim Mannah - Ex-NRL Parramatta Eels now works for the Parramatta Eels organisation, Jason Stewart - Mental Health Support Officer NRL, Sergeant Duncan Abernathy BM VA - Police Force and Russell Garnett – alumni and Managing Director and Founder of Urban and an Olympian, continued our theme of identity of men in today's world, peer pressure, resilience and language/violence against women. These men openly discussed and shared with the boys their life experiences, the hurdles they have had to overcome, the dreams they've wanted to achieve and the often long and difficult path to achieve these dreams. After the panel, the students then heard from Zac Craig, an Indigenous young man who works with the Back Track Program – which enables young people who have lost their way to reconnect with education and training, become work ready and secure meaningful employment. They help get young people ‘back on track’ by developing strong, happy and healthy foundations that result in positive life pathways and full participation in their communities. The boys were mesmerised by his honest, heart wrenching stories. We thank all our speakers this week for their contribution to our program.

The week finished with the students in small groups where the boys had time to chat freely and safely with a male mentor. 

Overall, the Year 10 students have had a week to also connect with one another and celebrate all of their successes this year. This will culminate with their Graduation Mass and Academic Assembly on Monday 7th December.

Programs like this don’t just happen and Oakhill is very lucky to have such dedicated teaching staff. A huge thank you to Ms Deborah Gillis, Ms Rose Garofano, Mrs Donna Findlay, Mrs Marianne Castor, Mr Chris Goodman, Ms Tarsha Gale and the whole PDHPE faculty, Br Tony, Mrs Pauline Hunt, Mr Ian Tribolet, Mrs Roxanne Leopardi, Mr Aaron Hickey, Mr Nathan Jones, Mr Matthew Rath, Mr Jack Stewart and all the staff that either supervised or led sessions throughout the week. 

Mrs Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Co-ordinator

Recently our Year 9 students undertook a fabulous adventure - Year 9 Camp. This few days allowed the boys to move out of their comfort zone and extend themselves in a multitude of activities as they continue their transition into young men. Here are some student recounts from our Camp:

Tuesday morning 17th November, Year 9 began the adventurous road trip to Somerset Camp. After an hour on the road we arrived and met our instructors whom we were spending the next four days with and began to repack our bags into rucksacks keeping them under 11kg. After a quick lunch we all spread out like ants across Somerset’s ginormous property and started our first activity of the week. My Homeroom started with an 8km canoe ride down the Colo River where we brought our bags with us which made it just that little bit more exciting. After arriving at our campsite we set up our tents and four boys were elected to cook and clean up and continue this for the next few days after every meal. After dinner of sausages and mash, we sat around the campfire roasting marshmallows and sharing stories before going to sleep, the first night many boys would have had in a tent. 

Rise and shine early Wednesday morning we prepared for the long walk ahead of us. We took down the tents and packed our bags. After a nutritious breakfast we started our hike around 8.00am. The hike to say the least challenged everyone both mentally and physically especially with our heavy rucksacks on our backs. After the long hike the bus took us to our next campsite where we finished the day with some relaxing archery and team initiative games. 

Thursday, the last full day, we peacefully got up with the sun after our second night in the tents. Breakfast consisted of breakfast burritos, prepared by four boys filled us up for the activities awaiting today. We began with the giant ladder and totem pole climb where three boys had to help each other and get to the top together. This taught us a lot about teamwork and pushed some boys’ physical and mental ability. After the giant ladder we prepared our bags ahead of our walk back to base camp. Our two Duke of Ed representatives, Sean Valencia and Adam O’shea, planned and led us successfully on our hike through the afternoon. After making it back to base camp we cooled off in the river and set up our tents for the last time. After our dinner of chicken Korma, we shared our peaks and pits of the trip. (My peak was definitely canoeing down the river).

Friday was our final day of camp and we started the day making homemade jaffles in the fire, which were delicious! The scorching sun helped dry our tents so that we could pack them up for the last time. We then proceeded to our final two activities, an obstacle course and the wombat hole. The obstacle course was challenging and required spotters to keep us safe. And for those that wanted to push their fears, they could complete the wombat hole which was very dark, tight and muddy. After our final activities we all had a final swim in the river to wash off all the mud. We then made our way to the dining hall to have our final meal and met up with our friends whom we hadn’t seen since Tuesday. We thanked our group leaders and we were all incredibly tired and relieved to get on the bus after a challenging, fun week. We arrived at school after the relaxing bus ride and met our parents to head home. 

Overall Year 9 Camp at Somerset was a very challenging, fun and new experience for many boys. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenges involved during our Camp and learnt many new skills. 

Flynn van der Zanden, Year 9 

On Tuesday morning, Year 9 set off to Camp Somerset, many people were excited, many were nervous, many were distraught at the idea of not having a phone, and while we had an idea of what we would be doing most of us didn’t realise how difficult and strenuous the next four days would really be. 

The first thing we did was unpack our bags into the hiking bags Somerset provided and introduce ourselves to our instructor for the week. We then hiked off to our first activity “the wombat hole” which is a tunnel you have to crawl on your stomach through mud and water and make it out the other end. We followed this by playing on the activity ropes, after this our group went down to the Colo River to play with two other groups. This was very relaxing and fun to have some free time. Four kids were then asked to cook dinner of chicken korma, while the others pitched our tents for the night. We ate dinner then sat around the fire telling stories and eating marshmallows.

The next morning it was clear lots of kids were not used to getting up this early and that not many kids had much sleep. This was a problem as our main activity for the day was the big hike. Before the hike however we had fun doing the giant ladder and four man pole climb. We then had lunch and filled up our water bottles as we started to prepare for the hike. We got a bus to the start and saw a friend's group who had just finished the hike going the other way. To be honest they looked destroyed and extremely tired so most in our group was very skeptical about it, and with that we started the hike. At first it was a long and flat fire trail, but not for long as we walked 250 meters down through rocks and into the gully followed by a walk back up the other way out of the gully. Two hours later we finally started to see camp. It was an extreme feeling of accomplishment for all of us as we walked 12 kilometres carrying 20 kilogram bags. We finally pitched the tents, had sausages and mash for dinner and sat around the fire again eating marshmallows and telling stories. 

On the start of our last full day many were excited to get back to the main camp, however instead of hiking we canoed along the Colo River which was a pleasant change of pace for most of the group this was probably my favourite part of the camp as we got to sit back and enjoy the nature as well as starting a quite competitive race back to base, which was both strenuous and strategic as there were many shallow sandbanks we had to avoid. When we got back our group sat in the river playing for hours with a couple other groups. After this we pitched our tents for the last time and had nachos for dinner. We sat around the campfire this time making, cooking and eating damper. Telling everyone what part of camp was fun for them. We all went to sleep that night truly exhausted from the three days we had spent hiking, canoeing and swimming. 

Our last morning started with us eating ham and cheese toasties to get ready for our final activity, another hike, this time a loop back to base. This hike was much harder and more rocky especially since our group lost the trail and ended up making the whole class petrified of spiders. We ended up finding the track also passing two groups who were coming the other way. We then hiked for a couple more hours and back to camp for the final time to take down our tents and repack our backs we brought from home. We then proceeded to the dining hall where we met up with our friends from the other groups after four days and shared our stories whilst eating a hotdog and soft drink. Some people had an amazing time while others had some pretty interesting stories. This was a great way to end camp and as we all boarded the bus for the last time after saying goodbye to our great instructor all of us were completely exhausted.

Luke Moxham, Year 9

Congratulations to Year 12 (2021) students Olivia Humm and Jye McLachlan who officially received their Macquarie University Leadership awards this week. Each year, two students are nominated from their cohort as having demonstrated leadership across various domains such as academics, demonstrating initiative and commitment, and leadership qualities contributing to a positive change in their community.

Mrs Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Officer

Recently five Year 10 students were given the opportunity to participate in Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) Programs at Castle Hill or Hornsby Colleges of TAFE. YES Programs allow students to experience learning in an adult learning environment at TAFE and develop introductory skills for a wide variety of trades and industries.

Five Year 10 students participated in the Carpentry Programs being offered. Angus Bugden, Will Hayes, Fraser Camley and Jack Wadini at Castle Hill College, with Brandon Khamis attending Hornsby College. 

During their time there, the students were given the opportunity to work on a project to complete and take home. At Castle Hill they boys produced a fold up chair that could be used for the beach or camping or just lazing around. While at Hornsby, Brandon made a Shelving and Drawer Unit. 

While working on these projects the students developed basic carpentry skills, knowledge of Work Health and Safety and plan reading.

We are very proud of all the participants. Angus, Will and Jack have all been offered Carpentry Apprenticeships. Fraser has now commenced an Electrical Apprenticeship and Brandon has decided to undertake further TAFE study for 2021 in a Carpentry Pre-apprenticeship program and further work in the industry.

Congratulations to all the boys and best wishes in for your future careers.

Marisa Quattrocchi
Careers Advisor

As part of their Hospitality training, Year 12 invited a range of Year 7 students in, to experience a sit-down lunch meal. The hospitality students spent a lesson prepping, cooking all the food, presenting the classroom, setting up the tables and ensuring that the dining experience was only the best for their fellow peers.

The boys had the luxury of enjoying a BLT burger along with their choice of cold drink, ice chocolate, ice coffee, strawberry, caramel or chocolate milkshake. A huge congratulations to hospitality 12HOV2 and their teacher Mrs Dalby for preparing a successful dining experience and thank you to the Year 7 boys for their participation in the event.

Ms Jessica Farrugia
Hospitality Teacher

Last week, students from several Science classes participated in an 'Egg Drop', a STEM activity where students in groups, had to design and build something that would protect an egg when dropped from a considerable height, with limited materials and budget. 

Several eggs survived, and the winning designs had everything from parachutes to shock absorbers. Some materials the students had to work with were straws, paper, string, and cotton wool. 

Hamish Johns, Year 7

Oakhill College is pleased to announce our continued engagement with Box of Books for the provision of our digital and physical education resources for the 2021 school year. 

Please see the attached document to follow the instructions on how to order or click here to the BoB Shop

Our community has once again come together to raise money for the ‘La Salle for Beirut Appeal’ to help our Lasallian Schools in Beirut following the explosion in August this year.

On Friday 4th December, Oakhill was a sea of red, green and white, as our students wore mufti in the colours of the Lebanon flag as a sign of solidarity and donated to this cause.  

Our kind and generous community raised $5,500! The funds raised today will go towards helping our brothers and sisters in Lasallian Schools in Beirut rebuild. Even after many months, they are still without essential equipment and services to run their learning and education programs. 

Thank you Oakhill. We are blessed with our generous community.

Mrs Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Officer

Once again our community has come together to help local families in need. We have collected many items for our hampers and have loaded up our bus to take them to our partners St Vincent de Paul, Yourtown (Kids Helpline), San Miguel Family Crisis Centre, Youth Off The Streets and St Bernadette's Parish, who will distribute them to families less fortunate than ourselves.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Officer

Please be advised, that the current bus interchange at Canoelands Road before Old Northern Rd will be closed temporarily from 7th December 2020 to 31st March 2021. There will be a temporary bus interchange 900m north of Canoelands Rd, which is the old Canoelands Interchange. 

There are some Hillsbus school services impacted by this change:

In the morning, Route 3104, 3110 and 3157 will commence from the temporary bus interchange on Old Northern Rd.

In the afternoon, Route 3573 will terminate at the temporary bus interchange on Old Northern Rd. Route 3554 will not be able to drop off students on Canoelands Rd.

None of the above services will be able to pick up or drop students at current bus interchange. All students affected should use the temporary bus interchange on Old Northern Rd.

Earlier this week Year 9 Drama classes were given the opportunity to perform in front of their families and showcase all that they have been learning throughout this year.

From a West Side Story Rumble to The Importance of Being Earnest, these clever students took to the stage and worked through elements of play building and street theatre, melodrama and Victorian theatre, characterisation and set and sound design.

For many of these students it was their first time being on stage in front of a live audience and what an amazing job they all did! 

Some students will take what they have learnt and continue on their drama journey at Oakhill into Year 10 and beyond. For others these skills will assist with their confidence and ability to present no matter what the future holds - it’s no coincidence that many of our Drama students at Oakhill who get a taste in Year 9 go on to become respected leaders at our College!

Congratulations to all of Year 9 Drama on a wonderful achievement.

Mrs Rebecca Madigan
Performing Arts Administration Assistant

Calling all wannabe neuroscientists from Year 9 2020!

If you think you have what it takes to be a neuroscientist, challenge yourself and study everything about the brain, then this is for you. You can download the document from this site and if you are interested, please email me at crugg@oakhill.nsw.edu.au, at the start of 2021. When I receive your email, I will register your interest in the Brain Bee Challenge. The first round will take place online in early March 2021. 

For further information, please view: https://help.educationperfect.com/article/23-what-is-the-brain-bee-challenge. This is an international event held overseas, however, provided COVID restrictions are lifted before the venue is decided.  

Great reading for your holidays. 

Mrs Chiquita Rugg
Academic Head of Science

Last week some of our students were involved in the Ethics Olympiad which took place via Zoom. Middle School Ethics Olympiads involve school groups coming together in order to engage with interesting ethical cases. It is not a debate in that teams from different schools can agree. Eth-letes and coaches practice in the lead up to the event rather like they would in any sporting venture only in this case they are training their mind to draw conclusions carefully, collaboratively and clearly.

Ms Edwina Fairall
Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator

Some of the boys enrolled in the Djurali Program run by the Museum of Contemporary Art participated in a zoom workshop last week. The Djurali program was open to students nationwide, and this year, there are six different schools involved in the workshop. The boys were able to discuss a range of topics and also showcase some of the items they've created online.

Mrs Cecilia Weinert
Visual Art Teacher

You can keep active and stay in shape this Summer with Western Sydney Aquatics! We are operating throughout the holiday period in the College pool, offering a wide range of swimming groups for all fitness levels. For more information please visit our website westernsydneyaquatics.com.au or call 0451436606

Please remember to take home your musical instruments before the holidays so you can keep on practising!

Go on an adventure this holidays by diving into the world of a good book. 

You can borrow a book from your local library, visit a new or used bookstore, or access ebooks and audiobooks online. 

“Books are a uniquely portable magic” - Stephen King

Give the gift of reading this holidays by buying books for your loved ones and share the enjoyment of reading! Talk about your favourite books or your current reads, and discover new titles that you might be interested in reading.

From the Librarians at Oakhill College...

Year 8 student, Matthew Geoghegan recently was Zazu in the recent City Kids Theatre production of the Lion King, which received excellent reviews. Well done to Matthew and what a fabulous headpiece puppet. 

Congratulations to Zander Cheng in Year 7 for his result in his Grade 3 AMEB piano exam, receiving an A (honours) - a fantastic achievement! Zander has been working very hard along with his Oakhill piano tutor Amanda Suwondo to achieve this result. Well done!

Santa brings a sack full of Premierships to Oakhill Sport

Christmas came early for Oakhill College Sport with 24 Basketball Premierships last weekend. The Term 4 ‘Sydney Metro Competition’ concluded on the weekend and 24 Oakhill College teams were awarded the title of Sydney Metro Champions 2020. 

Our senior cricket teams finished the Term 4 competition in impressive style with both the 1st XI and 2nd XI posting good wins over St Augustine’s and St Andrew’s respectively. The junior teams will continue their competition into next year with some fine young cricketers coming through these junior teams.

The new year brings with it a new competition for ISA schools. Term 1 2021 will be one round of ISA summer sport, with a final in March between the top two ranked teams in each division across the age groups. We look forward to the new year and a new competition where we have all of the ISA schools, Sydney Metro and our Country schools, playing for the title.

Thank you to all players, coaches, staff and parents for your support and understanding throughout 2020. Although it was a frustrating year in Sport at times, it was satisfying to play as much Sport as we did throughout our winter and summer seasons. Congratulations to our Premiership winning teams in Term 4 this year. We look forward to continued success and enjoyment in 2021.

Have a safe and happy Christmas break.

Mr Andrew Wisemantel
Head of Sport

Talking Sport with Sam and Holly

Last weekend saw the conclusion of summer sports until after the Christmas holidays. Oakhill once again featured some fantastic results across the board. As a result of Covid-19 the ISA summer sport competitions are being run differently this year. Last weekend was the grand final for the first of two competitions being held - a big congratulations to all the teams who won these games. We encourage all of our College athletes to continue working hard over the holidays and come back to school ready to resume playing sport.

Team of the Week

A big congratulations to the 14A’s basketball team who had a great win over St. Augustine’s 14A’s, 60-38.

Pick of the Yard

Best game of the weekend: Although the 1st girls touch football team has had a challenging season, they have continuously proven their ability to work as a team and enhance their team plays. Last Saturday, it was an extremely hot game and the girls worked extra hard to come away with a draw. Keep working hard at training and within your game!

Congratulations to all Oakhill College teams who competed this season, we are extremely proud of each and every one of your efforts and dedication towards your team and the game. Sam and I are looking forward to a great season ahead of us and are excited to watch you all play at some point in the season. Don't forget to keep up your fitness during the holidays!

This year despite COVID-19 our active P&F Committee have been involved in a number of events; Year 7 Welcome Evening, Open Day, our Enormous Welcome Event, and the Entertainment Book. They had many other events planned and have continued to meet via Zoom, so once restrictions are lifted further, we can re-commence our community occasions.

Last week we were able to hold a small gathering of members and sponsors who have contributed throughout 2020, and the Oakhill College P&F Association Incorporated were pleased to hand over a cheque to the College which assists in paying for our new shade sails over the old pool.

We also farewelled three members whose children have now graduated from Oakhill, and who have been key members in our P&F Committee for many years. We thank Marianne Dwyer, Annette Schweikert and Kim Brennan for their dedication, commitment and enthusiasm on our P&F Committee and wish you well in your future ventures.

We have also welcomed onto our P&F Committee for 2021 – Sonia Nesci as PRC Representative, Michelle Scarsbrook on our Executive Committee and Carina Morales as Secretary.

We have a very active P&F Committee and thank all our volunteering members for the untold hours and effort that you dedicate to Oakhill College. We look forward to 2021.

Mrs Gabby Russo
Marketing & Community Liaison Officer

The first P&F meeting for 2021 will be held on Wednesday 3rd February at 7.00pm. We hope you can join us.

The Oakhill P & F would also like to invite anyone in the Oakhill community whom would like to assist in some way with any of the following proposed exciting events for 2021:

1. The Welcome Event to be held on 20th March, which will be a fun filled social night for all
2. The spectacular Gala Day to be held on 29th May.
3. The combined Oakhill P & F and Oakhill Alumni Golf Day to be held 13th August

If anyone is interested please contact us via email at pandf@oakhill.nsw.edu.au or phone Peter on 0414 267 795.

The P&F wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas.

Peter Geoghegan
P&F President

The Entertainment Book is now on sale. If you'd like to support Oakhill College to raise extra fundraising dollars this festive season, you may purchase.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW OR USE THIS LINK:

https://www.entertainment.com.au/subscription

Eileen Leonard
0419464194
eileenjl@msn.com

Value displayed is an example of potential savings within the Membership only and is subject to available offers at any one time. The redemption examples show how a Member could redeem the cost of the Single City Membership in one day.

^The additional $10 and $20 per Membership sale during the current promotional period 1 December, 2020 - 31 January, 2021 will be paid to the relevant Entertainment fundraising group as per the standard payment terms within the corresponding quarter.

*All member offers are subject to terms and conditions. Check individual offers on the Entertainment Membership App or www.entertainment.com.au for more information. For all dining offers, it is optional for participating businesses to accept your Entertainment Memberships on all official Australian and New Zealand public holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. © 2020 Entertainment Publications of Australia Pty Ltd.

The College has introduced the option of online ordering through Flexischools. Parents will be able to order items using the Flexischools App or through our new website and can chose to pick up from the Uniform Shop during opening times or arrange to collect from Student Services.

The Uniform Shop will still be open for face to face sales during term time on Mondays 8.00am -11.30am and Thursdays 1.30pm – 5.00pm. 

The Uniform Shop currently requires volunteers that can work on Thursdays. You will need to be available to work once a month on a Thursday from 1.30pm—5.00pm.

If you are available and interested please contact our Administration Manager Mrs Carmel Christie via email at cchristie@oakhill.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Carmel Christie
Administration Manager

We do not sell second-hand uniform items at the Uniform Shop.  If you are interested in selling or buying second-hand items, we suggest that you search Sustainable School Shop, www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au or a local Facebook Buy/Swap/Sell Uniform group.

Mrs Carmel Christie
Administration Manager

We are still looking for volunteers for our Uniform Shop - either for our regular roster or to be on-call. If you are interested, please contact Mrs Carmel Christie, Administration Manager, on 9899-2288.