The Lunchbox Rally

Raising money for the Cancer Council

Hello! I am Theo and I am in 3G.

In September my Mum and I are participating in the Lunchbox Rally 2025, as Team Highland Hooligans. This rally will see us driving our car (worth $1500 or less) in a loop starting and finishing in Broken Hill with 200 other participants.

The Lunchbox Rally is not a race, rather a challenge to achieve the unthinkable. We will be travelling across Australia via some of its most formidable roads and remote communities. This year the rally aims to raise $500,000 for Cancer Council, which is used to fund cancer research projects nationally.

Our first goal is to raise a minimum of $3,000. To raise money, we have hosted a Trivia night for children at the Bowral Bowling Club. We are also hosting a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle on May 31^st and a movie night at THSPA on the 6^th June! These funds go to Cancer Council and we are proud to be doing our part to support such a worthy charity.

Our second goal is to make sure that our car completes the rally and comes back to Bowral in one piece so that we can drive it in the Angels Parade!

How can you help us achieve our goals? There are three ways.

1. Sponsor our team in return for branding on our car & rally websites

2. Tax deductible donation (anything over $2)

3. In Kind donation of Goods or services to help us fundraise

Please contact emmalawford86@gmail.com for more information if you would like to sponsor or provide any In Kind donation of Goods or Services.

Thank you for your support!

Try & Fly Weekend

Curious about a career in aviation? The Royal Aero Club’s Try and Fly Weekend offers you a chance to experience flying firsthand. Picture yourself in the cockpit, learn from experienced instructors, and take the first step to becoming a student pilot while exploring the exciting world of aviation. 🛩️🌟

Oxley String Tutor’s Concert

We’re delighted to share that our Oxley String Tutors—Myee Clohessy Kate Malone, Rachel Miller and Catherine Barnett—will be performing in a concert on Friday 23 May at 6:30 PM at Bowral Memorial Hall. Doors open at 5.45 PM for complimentary drinks and nibbles. 

Starring saxophonist Nick Russoniello, the concert will feature an exciting program of music by Chick Corea and Elena Kats-Chernin.

It promises to be a fantastic evening of live music featuring some of the exceptional musicians who teach and inspire our students.

We warmly encourage you to attend and support our wonderful tutors.

Turmoil in Tigertown: Lachlan Galvin’s exit and the exodus of young talent from struggling clubs

Wests Tigers five-eighth Lachlan Galvin has been touted by many as one of the players who will become a superstar in the NRL, with critics such as Phil Gould often praising the 19-year-old: “Lachlan Galvin will earn more money out of Rugby League than any player in history.” The Tigers are often being looked at as a bottom feeding club, coming off 3 straight wooden spoons; despite their hot start to the year, Galvin has already called it quits on the club that gave him his debut and took a chance on him after he was rejected by the Parramatta Eels as a young teen.

Galvin was reportedly offered around 5 million dollars over 5 years by the Wests Tigers. He and his agent Isaac Moses—deregistered for breaching his obligations as an agent in 2017—chose to decline this offer, with Galvin informing the club that he would no longer remain with them beyond the 2026 season. The Tigers released a statement which read, “We would like to announce that Lachlan Galvin will not be with the club beyond the 2026 season, despite the club having the largest contract offer for a junior in the history of the club on the table.” News also broke that Galvin was unhappy with coach Benji Marshall’s style and did not believe that he could develop him as a half, despite Marshall being considered one of the greatest five-eighths of his generation. He also felt as if star half-back and four-time premier Jarome Luai was receiving favouritism from Marshall. It appears Galvin is unwilling to learn off Luai even though he played five-eighth for the Panthers to win 4 premierships, as well as collecting 9 appearances for Samoa and 10 appearances in State of Origin for NSW—with a 5 and 5 record.

This news started an absolute media frenzy. For three straight days, NRL 360 made it look like this was the only story that was happening in the NRL. For Easter Monday’s clash, Galvin was sensationally dropped to NSW cup by Marshall. This prompted Luai to post an image on his Instagram story with the simple caption ‘team first’. This then led Galvin’s management to pursue legal action against the Wests Tigers, Galvin claiming he is being bullied by his teammates. In a response to this situation, Luai spoke to Fox League about how he and Galvin still need to have an on-field connection but remarked that “we don’t have to all be best mates,” hinting at a remaining animosity between the two halves.

Galvin isn’t the only young star to turn on the Tigers despite their belief in them. The Tigers have an extensive list of ex-players who have gone on to break into stardom once they left the club, including Aaron Woods, Mitchell Moses, Josh Addo-Carr, Marika Koroibete, Ryan Papenhuyzen, James Tedesco and Luke Brooks. The Tigers have been consistently developing great talents only for richer clubs like the Roosters, Storm, Eels and Manly to keep poaching them before they hit their stride with the Tigers. The system the NRL has in place is deeply flawed and clubs like the Tigers are left to suffer. In a league like the NBA, they have a version of free agency called ‘restricted free agency’ which allows a franchise to match any offer made to a player at the end of their rookie contract. Rules like this foster home-grown teams and even out talent distribution around the league. The Penrith Panthers have built their foundations of their four straight premierships on grassroots rugby league, with most of the stars on those teams being Panthers juniors.

Looking at this with bias as a life-long Wests Tigers fan, I believe if those players stayed for longer, we would blossom into one of the competition’s heavyweights. But instead, we are not playing finals footy, and the two clubs that merged to make the Wests Tigers—Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies—are constantly bickering and threatening to split and media narratives constantly berate management, players and coaches.

The story that the media fails to capture is the ongoing support from fans, still packing out Leichardt Oval and Campbelltown Sports Stadium no matter how bad the product on the field or from the front office is. Benji Marshall is now seeking to rebuild the culture of the club by doing his best to ignore the Galvin turmoil. This approach seems to be paying off as the Tigers are sitting at 8^th (5/5) and are hoping to break their finals drought which has lasted since Marshall’s time as the Tigers’ starting five-eighth in 2011. Galvin is still on the way out and who knows what will happen, but his story will be cited as one of most influential player movement sagas and should prompt change to the NRL’s free agency system.

Zac C, Year 12

Copy and paste: Brooki, Nagi and the scandal of stolen words

When we press Command-C and then Command-V, we don’t really think anything of it, but technically, this is plagiarism. It isn’t just about copying homework though; it encompasses a deep ethical dilemma that affects industries across the board.

This issue has recently come to light in the accusations made by Recipe Tin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi against Brooke Bellamy of plagiarising two of her recipes in her newly published cookbook ‘Bake with Brooki’. She didn’t only blame Bellamy but also the publisher Penguin, a multi-billion-dollar company.

Penguin has had previous issues with plagiarism. For instance, in 2009, Dr Danny Keenan’s book “Wars Without End” was accused of plagiarism. Penguin ended up having to withdraw the copied extracts and republish a revised version.

In regard to the recipes, the allegations first started when Maehashi wrote a statement on her website titled ‘When you see your recipes in a $4 million book’. She expressed her concerns over the plagiarism after a reader of Bellamy’s cookbook notified her of the similarities. She then proceeded to post this picture, a side-by-side comparison of the caramel slice recipe Bellamy published and her own recipe.

These pictures highlighted the stark similarities between both the ingredients and the method. As well as the caramel slice recipe, Maehashi highlighted similarities between a baklava recipe as well.

After this, Maehashi stated, “I have made copyright infringement allegations against Penguin Random House Australia, claiming there are plagiarised recipes in the bestselling book Bake with Brooki, including two from my website and other authors, including cookbooks.”

Maehashi has raised these issues in an attempt to speak up against plagiarism of recipes – a notoriously grey area between copying, appropriation and inspiration. She says, “I’m speaking up because staying silent protects this kind of behaviour. Profiting from plagiarised recipes is unethical – even if it is not copyright infringement – and undermines the integrity of the entire book. In my opinion, plagiarism is never excusable, no matter how small.”

To resolve this, Maehashi has asked Penguin to withdraw the book containing the alleged plagiarised recipes.

Penguin has responded by denying the allegations, stating in a letter, “Our client respectfully rejects your clients’ allegations and confirms that the recipes in the BWB Book were written by Brooke Bellamy.”

Bellamy has also denied these allegations saying in a statement on her Instagram “that she did not plagiarise any recipes.” To address the similarities in the caramel slice recipes, she says “It uses the same ingredients as my recipe, which I have been making and selling since four years prior.”

Adding to this, she states that she has “great respect for Nagi” and she offered to remove the alleged plagiarised recipes to avoid any more legal conflict.

However, other recipe developers have started to speak up. This includes the famous baker Sally McKenny, also known as Sally’s Baking Addiction. She has claimed her ‘Best Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had’ recipe, which was published in 2019, had been plagiarised for the book and was also put on Bellamy’s YouTube channel.

These allegations have ignited a debate on social media around the issues around plagiarism. Some people believe Bellamy has done nothing wrong, blaming Maehashi for this legal conflict with some attacks becoming personal. The same has happened for Bellamy, with social media fuelling the fire of this ongoing conflict.

So, what do you think? Did Brooki plagiarise Nagi’s recipes or were they already hers? Food for thought…

Lucy A, Year 11

From the vault: Literature is all around us

This article was originally published in Edition 158 (26 September 2023) of the Pin Oak.

When I think of literature – or a good novel – I think of many things; Harry Potter, Shakespeare, and the book I read over the holidays. But when I think of it locally, I think of the past. I think of a great life before us. I think of a well-known story of our childhood: Mary Poppins.

But why would just one classic story have to do with the Southern Highlands, when it is set in London, in Edwardian times? Well, have you ever seen the Mary Poppins statue in Glebe Park? It is there to remember and commemorate the wonderful author of the book: P.L. Travers – who is closer to Bowral than we may think.

Literature is all around us…

Pamela Lyndon Travers was a writer who was born in Maryborough, Queensland, as Helen Lyndon Goff. However, after the death of her father, she and the rest of her family moved to Bowral. Here, the idea of the famous fictional character Mary Poppins was born. Her influence on such an idea? Her family and personal life played a huge role in her inspiration.

But when we come to think of it, literature is even closer to us than we know it! For example, your favourite book to read. A textbook in class. Or perhaps a text in a foreign language – such as French, Latin, or Japanese. But then think deeper: a speech on a current world issue. An essay for a school assessment task. A poem that you love to read. These are all examples of how literature connects us all.

So, whether you are the ‘English person’ or not, or the bookworm, or a writer like me – there is a connection that we have, despite our differences. Reading and writing is like a precious gift – hold it tight and treat it with care. And if you are holding that gift in your hands, use it! Many have just done that before you. Remember…

Literature is all around us.

Ruby C, Year 7

Staff Spotlight: Mr Matthew Bentham, Art Teacher

This month, Ruby C (Year 9) shone the spotlight on Mr Bentham, Senior School Art teacher, and discussed inspiration, creativity, and the benefits of an art education.

How long have you been teaching at Oxley?

This is my fifth year at Oxley College!

What inspired you to become an Art Teacher?

My grandfather was a watercolour artist in the UK and he mentored me when I was a boy.

What do you believe fosters creativity?

We need to be active in participating in pursuits that foster creativity. I definitely think that we can lose our ability to think in creative ways.

Which are your favourite artists?

Francisco Goya, Francis Bacon, Kara Walker, Takashi Murakami, Hayao Miyazaki, Flora Yuknovich, and Olafur Eliasson.

What is your favourite exhibition that you have attended?

So many standouts, but in 2000, I was able to spend a whole day in the Uffizi, Florence. It was an amazing but overwhelming experience.

In the area of Visual Arts what do you specialise in?

I think could be called a jack of all trades and a master of nothing! I am constantly learning new ways to be a better teacher.

What is your inspiration in the area of Visual Arts?

My family and my students are a source of inspiration.

Have to ever exhibited your own art works?

Yes, in group shows, but not individually – however, I am working towards something!

Why is Visual Arts such an important subject, especially for students at Oxley?

For so many reasons! It’s often overlooked and not always seen as valuable by all, but this subject instils an appreciation of other cultures, it builds a confident inner dialogue and strength to express your ideas, and it supports diverse voices.

What opportunities does Visual Arts subject offer Oxley students?

There are opportunities to thrive as a critical thinker and creative being. It always provides challenges and hope. Students perform extremely well at a senior level too!

Since Oxley is now a Round Square school, will there be any overseas trips to look at art around the world?

We certainly absorbed a lot of art during our recent overseas trip to Japan, and I hope that I am able to develop an equally fascinating programme for the next cohort.

Introducing: The Oxley Artery

Welcome to the Oxley Artery: our exclusive and brand-new digital art space for the Pin Oak! The Oxley Artery is here to provide an insight into the creativity that takes place in the Visual Arts subject at the College.

At Oxley, Visual Arts gives a wonderful opportunity for students to express their feelings and thoughts, to develop new ideas and skills, and to foster individual creativity and talents. In this edition of the Pin Oak, the Artery will be showcasing several Still Life artworks by a selection of Year 9 students. This semester, Year 9 Visual Arts students have been working on Still Life pieces in many artmaking forms which include painting, drawing, photography and printmaking. Year 11 Visual Arts students have also produced creative artworks that truly ignite your imagination!

Ruby C, Year 9

The Style Section: The Met Gala

The annual Met Gala came around again on the first Monday of May. This year sharing the theme of ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, the theme reflected black excellence through the many years of fashion design African Americans have largely contributed to. In celebration, all co-chairs this year were black men, this included Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky.

Fashion’s most iconic night had no shortage of iconic fashion, intertwining and complimenting black fashion history in America. Sir Lewis Hamilton, a co-chair holder and a seven-time Formula 1 world champion dashed the Met with a complete ivory suit by Grace Wales Bonner, sharing stories of excellence through the jewel adornments, flower motifs, and pearl details. No detail was left undone with his cropped suit jacket and high waisted trousers that complimented the rich decorations that adorned his suit. This tailored look dominated the looks on Monday as numerous celebrities and designers spun the traditional suit into something more unique.

Singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe is a perfect example of someone who went for a unique tailored look, sharing an optical illusion on a boxy coat designed with a suit of colours of red and black, a Thom Browne staple. Monáe described it herself as a “Time Machine.” The accessories of a hat and a working monocle took the outfit to a whole other level, making it one of my favourites of the night. Unique accessories seemed to be a theme of the night with artist André 3000 wearing a grand piano like a backpack across his back, a nod to his intended release of ‘7 Piano Sketches’ on vinyl. Overall, my favourite look of the night was on K-pop star Jennie, who wore a suit with a soft feminine twist, adding a voluminous skirt in place of trousers and adorned with pearl detailing and a classic black hat. The look was completed with the iconic Chanel flower on the suit jacket. What I loved most about this look was how classic it was, the white and black, with simple yet compelling additions that made her garment stand out to me the most.

Juliette J, Year 12

We’re watching: Seinfeld

If you have not watched Seinfeld, you are seriously missing out. Seinfeld is known as “the show about nothing” and was one of the most popular TV shows back in the 1990s. It was created by Jerry Seinfeld, a stand-up comedian, and Larry David, a comedy writer, in 1989. Seinfeld and David wanted to break away from traditional TV storytelling and focus on creating a sitcom that turned moments of everyday life into comedy.

Seinfeld follows the lives of some unique and unforgettable New Yorkers – four close friends who navigate the ups and downs of everyday life. Whether it’s grocery store checkout line stress, the mystery of the lost sock or the panic of forgetting someone’s name, Seinfeld captures life’s smallest frustrations and turns them into relatable humour. Each character has a certain quirkiness about them as well as their endearing qualities. Seinfeld stars as himself, joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as his ex-girlfriend Elaine (you should see her dance!), Jason Alexander as neurotic George and Michael Richards as chaotic Kramer, who lives in the unit opposite to Jerry.

The best part is that there are 9 seasons with 180 episodes that roughly go for 30 minutes each, making it the perfect study break companion! What’s more, the humour truly does stand the test of time. If you love a good laugh, unforgettable characters and clever storytelling, you must watch!

Chloe S, Year 11

We’re playing: Helldivers 2 – Omens of Tyranny

The following article is an official Super Earth document. Deviations of attention will be considered treasonous, and your local Democracy Officer will be notified.

The 2^nd Galactic War against the mindless Terminids and heartless Automatons raged on, the enemies of humankind throwing themselves (futilely) against the unbreakable armies of Super Earth. Spearheaded by the heroic Helldivers, the advance of freedom was inevitable…

The date was the 12^th of December 2184… and a threat once thought to have been eradicated returned…

The Autocratic Illuminate had returned, a highly sophisticated Cephalopod species (more commonly known as the Squids) whose technology was seen as a threat to galactic peace, capable of destroying entire planets if they so wished. Seeing through their twisted offers for peace, the democratic federation of Super Earth declared war on the untrustworthy Squids. Many citizens were lost to their un-democratic legions, torn apart limb from limb by their merciless soldiers, whilst the squids’ atrocious constructs (powered by barbaric alien AI) laid waste to the labours of Super Earth. All this was directed by the corrupted Illuminate high council whose sole purpose was the destruction of freedom. Yet they were no match for the bravest, strongest, most obedient heroes of humankind. With a will only matched by that of Lady Liberty, the Illuminate were crippled. In an act of mercy and justice, Super Earth offered the opportunity for unconditional surrender, which the Illuminate were suspiciously swift to accept. Confiscating their destructive technology for peacekeeping purposes was not enough, however, as their mere existence almost guaranteed a chance for resurgence against Super Earth. Declared war criminals, the Squids were hunted down, making their last stand on their homeworld Squ’bai Shrine. Their technology was used to great effect, from efficient Alcubierre warp drives to the wonderous dark fluid (which was used to neutralise the Terminid Supercolony on Meridia). Little did humanity know of a nefarious plot ready to spring out of the shadows…

The Illuminate have returned, but their autocratic intentions remain shrouded in mystery. To compensate for the losses suffered in the 1^st Galactic War, the Squids turned to transforming the defenceless colonists of Super Earth into the wretched Voteless, zombies devoid of democratic intent. These unfortunate souls are shepherded by the malicious Overseer caste, the Illuminate’s elite, utilising advanced weapons such as plasma rifles, personal energy shields, jetpacks and staves that shoot lasers. These monsters are reinforced with two cruel machinations – The Watcher drone pierces through all material, searching for citizens to abduct, whilst the three-legged Harvester combs the streets of former colonies, purging anyone who survived the initial Illuminate invasion. The citizens that survive the onslaught face impending doom and slavery at the cold hands of the squids…

To make matters worse, a new strain of Terminid has emerged. The cowardly predator strain ambushes the brave soldiers that defend the frontier, tearing them apart unseen, never to visit the voting ballots again. Taking advantage of this chaos, the Automaton collective developed two bloodthirsty legions – a new Jet Brigade using the jump packs of fallen helldivers besieges the Western frontier, alongside the pyromaniacal Incineration Corps. The two armies destroyed valuable Super Earth property, with only the Helldivers standing in their way. By tackling the Illuminate menace, they halt a seemingly unstoppable advance. To the horror of Super Earth’s citizens, the Squids attempted to draw the black hole created by the Helldivers to destroy the Terminid Supercolony of Meridia towards Super Earth, using a liberty-forsaken rite using the bodies of countless Voteless. This catastrophic turn of events resulted in the destruction of three planets: Angel’s Venture, Moradesh and Ivis, alongside billions of Class B and below civilians. Four months of fighting to preserve peace finally saw the wrangling of the Merida Singularity, despite the Squids’ pathetic attempts to thwart the unstoppable tide of prosperity. With everything dedicated to this fell play, the Illuminate war criminals were in chaos as SEAF put down the last stragglers of their corrupt cult. Now begins the trivial task of restoring order to the Milky Way, and who better to do it then our noble caped saviours, the Helldivers?

Better, stronger and more democratic than ever, the Helldiver Corps is the valiant tip of the spear that will drive the Illuminate back to the verge of extinction. Now with an increased budget, they shall dismantle the despicable Automatons and recapture the rampant Terminids. With new weapons, aerial support and recruits, humanity will persevere through this time of disarray. We have the munitions. We have the ships. But what we need right now are new recruits!

See vibrant new worlds in dire need of liberation!

Introduce our enemies to our… peaceful way of life.

Protect our way of life from our enemies!

Become a hero!

Become a legend!

Become…

A Helldiver!

WARNING: SPACETIME RUPTURES DETECTED

ILLUMINATE FLEET DETECTED

DESIGNATION: GREAT HOST

THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME

TARGET: SUPER EARTH

ALL HELLDIVERS MOBILISE

In a shocking turn of events, the Illuminate have finally revealed the full extent of their military might. Taking advantage of celebrations hosted in the wake of their vanguard’s defeat, the Illuminate armada emerged from the inky depths of the Meridia Singularity at approximately 14:22 Hours Super Earth Standard. The fleet (designated as The Great Host) has begun a ghastly path towards the heart of Democracy itself… Super Earth. All civilians aged over 12 have been directed towards the nearest recruitment centres. Whilst defences are prepared, the Helldivers are ordered to slow the Illuminate advance at any cost. In the depths of unknown space, the Illuminate cult have designed new weapons of war, biological and technological. In an act of insanity, Illuminate scientists have created the abominable Fleshmob, a shambling concoction of Voteless fused together into a destructive force of terror. And whilst their Overseers remain ever present, a new member has bolstered their Autocratic ranks. The Crescent Overseer holsters a powerful plasma canon, with the ability to destroy all cover a soldier of freedom may hide behind. Though inferior compared to the Ministry of Defence’s mighty Eagle Fleet, the Illuminate now contest the skies with the lightning-fast Stingray. This blindingly swift futuristic fighter jet unleashes a torrent of acidic plasma bolts, bombarding any unfortunate soul within its patrol range.

Despite these odds, the Helldivers remain unyielding in face of the enemies of Democracy. Now go, defend prosperity, defend freedom and defend Super Earth…

FOR DEMOCRACY!

Thomas C, Year 12

The Pin Oak Crossword

This month’s Pin Oak Crossword has been compiled by Emelia S (Year 8)

Sporting Achievements

Athletics – Milo S W (Year 9) came 9^th and 13^th in the 800m and 400m in Perth at the National Athletics Age Championships.

Basketball – Max M (Year 11) has been selected for a basketball tour in the United States in the next holidays. Ben H (Year 12) has been selected in the ISA 19&U Basketball Seconds.

Dressage – Jake P (Year 9) has qualified for the Open National Championships in Dressage.

Flag Football – Henry B (Year 9) will be representing Australia in Flag Football and travelling to Los Angeles next holidays.

Hockey – Ben B (Year 11) has been selected in the U18 NSW Blues Hockey team to play at the Nationals in Perth. Ben B and Henry R (Year 11) have been selected in the ISA 19&U Boys Hockey team; Chilli S (Year 12), Holly W (Year 11) and Lily S (Year 12) in the ISA 19&U Girls Hockey team; and Emilie S (Year 10) and Ruby M (Year 8) in the ISA 15&U Girls Hockey team, with Sapphire S (Year 8) and Sophie M (Year 10) as shadows.

Congratulations to Tarik Appel who was selected in the NSWCIS 15&U Boys Hockey team and Ben Bragg who has been selected in the NSWCIS 19&U Boys Hockey team.

These teams will play in the  NSW All Schools Hockey Tri-Series in Newcastle in June.

Mountain Biking – Harry G (Year 12) came 12^th at the National Championships in cross country mountain biking at Mount Buller.

Netball – Zara G (Year 8) has been selected for the ISA 15&U Netball team. Annabelle B (Year 12) has been selected as shadow for the ISA 19&U Netball team.

Orienteering – Rory S (Year 9) is one of four people chosen for the Australian U16 Orienteering team to compete in Europe next holidays.

Rollerski: Chilli S achieved 3^rd in the U20 women’s category at the Rollerski National Championships. Sapphire S achieved 4^th in the U16 women’s category at the same event.

Surf Lifesaving – Pixie H (Year 8) was awarded National Champion in the U14 2km beach run at the Surf Lifesaving National Championships and 5^th in the U15 triathlon at Nationals in Perth.

Swimming – Charlotte H (Year 8) came 2^nd, 7^th and 9^th respectively at the National Swimming Age Championships in Brisbane in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke. She also placed 1^st, 1^st and 2^nd in those same events at the CIS level, qualifying her for NSW All Schools.

Foundation Night Rehearsals

Rehearsals are in full swing for Foundation Night – Thursday 22 May at 6.30pm. Parents and guests are asked to register their attendance via this link:

We look forward to seeing you there!

Mothers’ Day Breakfast

📷 Daphne H, Year 9

Firsts Girls Football

📷 Ruby P, Year 11

da Vinci Decathlon

Year 5 and 6

Year 7 & 8

The Tributes: 

Training was… somewhat hectic. Although once we had sorted out our certain strengths and weaknesses in working together, (it only took about half of lunch) we were considerably productive. Almost. 

But, although we definitely had our disagreements, we were a powerful team. And after a lifetimes-worth of lunchtime-trainings, we were prepped and ready for the arena.  

The Arena: 

Period 1: Code Breaking – Annabel & Cassius, English – Elena & Greta, Science – Charlie & Quinn, Ideation – Luca and Ollie [Creative Producers – Charlie, Ollie & Luca] 

Our method in the Arena was to divide and conquer: each subject would get 2 people assigned (except for Creative Producers) and they would work though the paper together. Creative Producers were different, because the two or three doing that paper would leave the arena (via hovercraft, of course) during one of the sessions, and prepare a skit in 8 minutes to perform to the judges in one.  

Period 2: Maths – Annabel & Cassius, Cartography – Charlie & Quinn, Engineering – Ollie & Luca, Art & Poetry – Elena & Greta 

In the second Period we mainly followed the same course at the start, but when Art & Poetry and Engineering had to get handed in, we had 4 people on each paper which helped us get through it easily.  

Period 3: Legacy. 

Legacy has its own Period, meaning everyone must work together to complete it. This would’ve been a disaster if we didn’t divide the papers between existing pairs. Legacy focused on the Renaissance period, as it’s meant to be the reason Da Vinci Decathlon is named after Da Vinci, a prominent 

The Victor: 

Our team did not go as badly as we had perceived: 2^nd in English and Art & Poetry!  

Our tips and tricks:

I’d like to say we managed our time effectively, but sometimes, we could get stuck on one or two questions for a while. One of my tips would be that if you are stuck on one question, don’t dwell on it for more than 2-4 minutes. 

Greta S & Charlie H (Year 7)

Year 9 & 10

On Friday 2 May, a team of 8 people awoke ready for competition. Yes, it may have been a bit too early for our liking, but we overcame that, like how we overcame the hours that came to follow. When we entered the room where we would be spending most of the day, there was one thing that stuck out to us: the number of people. There were students from all over the Illawarra region, from various schools, all competing to win. 

Session one began with: English, Ideation, Science and Codebreaking.  

Previously, in training for the event, we had decided to divide and conquer. We split the papers up and all contributed to various parts of each, which is exactly what we did, though it got a bit hectic. We were given all papers at the same time, but it turned out that the Ideation paper and English paper had more questions and sections to complete than the other papers, which required more people to work on them. After the first session ended, we were given some time to cool off and have recess. 

The next session included the papers: Mathematics, Cartography, Creative Producers, Art & Poetry and Engineering. 

This session was a bit more difficult to manage, as we had more papers to complete, and we had a shorter time limit for engineering and art and poetry. We jumped right in with those two, brainstorming ideas and getting to work. About 30 minutes in, two team members left the group to do Creative Producers (acting). Amelie and Ed went off and had 8 minutes to plan a 1-minute scene in the style of an influencer to promote a product or event that reduces the use of single-use plastics. Meanwhile, Souhaylah, Tilly, Honour, Coen, Milo and Grace were hard at work on the remaining papers. Soon we had to hand in the Art & Poetry and Engineering papers, leaving us to finish off the rest before lunch.  

The last session was the Legacy paper. 

It was not our best paper, but we tried the best we could. We all grouped together and worked as a team to put names to famous landmarks and people around the world. This last session was shorter than the others, but after handing the Legacy paper in, we did some fun trivia while it was marked by the teachers. At one point, there was a dance off, and about five people got up on stage to dance to a silly song for twenty seconds. Everyone in the hall had a whole lot of fun mucking around while we waited for the results. We even received a few notes from other schools at their tables, and overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. 

The results were announced, and our team came first in Codebreaking. I think some of our eardrums are still damaged from how loud we cheered! It was an amazing day, and even if you don’t consider yourself an academic person, we would all recommend the da Vinci Decathlon for anyone who wants to try it next year. Just the experience of being in a room with that many people was awesome, and the atmosphere was so lighthearted and casual, it was a wonderful way to spend the day. 

Souhaylah S (Year 10) & Amelie L (Year 9) 

Ethics Olympiad

On 7 May, two Oxley senior teams competed in the Ethics Olympiad competition. The competition is a way for students to develop critical thinking skills. collaboration and communication. The Ethics Olympiad encourages collaborative reasoning, rather than traditional debates where teams argue opposing sides. This means that students work together to come up with the best ethical solutions to complex ethical issues. We prepared for the Ethics Olympiad as we received up to eight ethical cases in advance to study, write responses, and explore various perspectives. No notes are allowed on the day.

Over 400 teams from different schools are connected using Zoom to compete. Out of the eight cases offered, one is chosen at random for each round; we were then given time to prepare. The first team makes the initial presentation of their case. While the other team listens, poses questions, and offers their own perspectives, the first team then improves their position by adding fresh viewpoints and strengthening their arguments considering the conversation. The Olympiad encourages polite conversation, ethical reasoning, and critical thinking.

It was a great opportunity to think about ethical dilemmas and consider different viewpoints on topics such as privacy and how apps collect data, curfews for teenagers and the issues around AI. Everyone collaborated in the two teams, and we were all able to contribute and express our opinions in a respectful and insightful way.

Congratulations to Oxley Team Teal, consisting of Flynn O’B, Chloe D, Lucy A and Liam H, who were awarded the bronze medal, and to Oxley Team Blue, consisting of Chloe S, Maya R, Oscar M, Sophie C and Kaitlyn S (all Year 11), who received an honourable mention.

Lucy A & Chloe S, Year 11

Junior School Awards

Term 2, Week 2

Term 2, Week 3

What Matters? National Writing Competition

Make sure you meet the deadline for the Whitlam Institute’s annual writing competition!

Please also send a copy of your entry to be published in future editions of the Pin Oak.