Dear Parents & Parishioners,

Due to the very positive feedback received from parents in 2025, we have invited Marian Nicolazzo (University of Melb.) to speak during this evening's Information Night, at 7.00pm in the hall. Her presentation about the importance of talk will provide you with ways in which you can support Literacy development at home.

Welcome to a brand new school year! As a school staff, we are excited to embark on this journey together with you as we nurture and inspire your children to rach their fullest potential.

This year brings fresh opportunities for learning, growth, and exploration.

We encourage you to be actively involved and engaged in your child's learning. Your participation in shool actvities and events makes a signficant impact on their personal development, while conveying to your child that you value the community to which they belong.

We value open communication. Your feedback is important to us, and we are here to listen. Please feel free to reach out whenever you have any questions or positive comments to share.

Together, let's continue to build a positive and rewarding environment for our children.

Settling In

Regardless of year level, it is apparent that the students have settled very well into the new school year. Looking across the playground during morning recesss last Monday, it brought deep satisfaction to watch the way in which the students socialised, navigated the school grounds, shared sporting and play equipment, and generally played with one another.

It was also amazing to see how focussed our new Preps were throughout Monday morning's school assembly. The first assembly can sometimes overwhelm our younger students ... apparently not this bunch!

On visiting the classrooms earlier this week, a number of things became evident: the students were focussed and engaged; there was laughter; a sense of organisation and calm could be felt in all the classrooms; and both courtesy and respect were evident.

Last Friday, we officially welcomed our Prep (Foundation) students as they commenced their first day of schooling at OHR:

Alexander P, Alexandra G, Alexandria R, Archie N, Ari W, Arthur K, Arthur T, Asher C, Charles C, Charles J, Chase T, Chloe L, Chloe W, Ella E, Ella W, Emilia D, Grace S, Hadley W, Hannah F, Harry B, Hugo Y, Huw S, Isabella S, James W, Jayden Y, Kianah K, Lachlan G, Leo C, Leonardo J, Leo S, Louis M, Mabel H, Marcus Y, Matilda K, Matthias G, Noah I, Oscar M, Patrick C, Peter C, Raphael M, Riley K, Rosie N, Ryan N, Sebastian L, Spencer S and William W

Last week we also welcomed a number of new students, in other levels, and their families to our school community, including: Josephine Y, Bonnie R, Evelyn R, Audrey R, Arabella N, Sebastian M, Benjamin L, Joshua Y, Patty S, Jack E, Louis N, Caspar N, Sophie B, Sammy B, Lauren S, Grace J, Arthur N and Vivienne D

As always, I encourage every current family to take the opportunity to introduce yourself to any new families and make them feel ‘at home’ and a part of our vibrant school community.

Welcome to learning at OHR in 2026

I encourage you to read the article 'Welcome to learning at OHR in 2026' which can be found on the Learning & Teaching News page in today's newsletter.

This Monday's Assembly

The parents of our Prep students are warmly invited to this Monday's school assembly. During the assembly each Prep student will be offically introduced to the school community with the support of their senior buddy/buddies.

Following the assembly we invite the Prep parents, and any other parents for that matter, to pop into the hall foyer for a cuppa.

Vision for Engagement

Our work at OHR is underpinned by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) Vision for Engagment, which was officially launched in 2025. Student engagement encompasses attendance, behaviour, belonging, learning, mental health and wellbeing, and motivation.

MACS' engagement practices are captured in the infographic below:

I encourage you to read the Short Guide to Vision for Engagment which can be accessed here:

Parent Information Evening - Tonight

Our Parent Information Evening will be held tonight. This is an opportunity to meet your child's classroom teacher/s who will share with you relevant information about their classroom set-up, teaching practice, routines, the home-school partnership as well as answer any questions you may have. This session will be in your child's classroom and will run for approximately 25 minutes.

We also have a guest speaker, Marian Nicolazzo who is a Literacy Consultant currently employed at Melbourne University. Marian will share insights into how imperative talk is. She will discuss how understanding and using spoken language involves speaking and listening (also known as oral language) and how talk provides a strong foundation for all long-term language and literacy outcomes.

Marian will provide a multitude of ideas of how to support oral language at home, these activities that are easily integrated into day to day home life will support the development of all literacy learning.

The schedule of the evening is as follows:

6.30pm - 1/2LG, 1/2TH, 2/3CP

7.00pm - Guest Literacy Speaker in the Hall: Marian Nicolazzo

7.30pm - 3/4DG, 3/4JH

8.00pm - Prep MD, Prep MH, 5/6CM, 5/6KM

2026 OHR Staff

It gives me great pleasure to provide our staffing arrangements for the 2026 school year:

Prep: Mary Dening (5 days)

Prep: Michelle Hollow (5 days)

1/2: Lana Gill (4 days)/Aria Karagiannis (1 day)

1/2: Tina Hautot (4 Days)/Aria Karagiannis (1 day)

2/3: Carmel Pettinato (5 days)

3/4: Esther Jackson (3 days)/Penny Hansen (2 days)
3/4: Declan Gulavin (5 days)

5/6: Cara Mitchell (5 days)

5/6: Katie Mackay (5 days)

Maths Co-teacher: - Nick Byrne

Literacy Intervention: - Meaghan King

Specialist Teachers:

- Phys Ed & Fitness: Jo Golds

- Science: Stephanie Axon

- STEM: Stephanie Axon - Performing Arts: Jon Bode

- Languages: Celeste Goh

Digital Technologies

Manager: - Penny Hansen

Staff holding leadership positions in the school include:

Principal: - Frank Dame

Deputy Principal: - Nick Byrne

REL / Mathematics
Leader: - Nick Byrne

Learning &
Teaching Leader: - Penny Hansen

Literacy Leader: - Lisa Canty

Learning Diversity /

Pastoral Care Worker: - Lisa Canty
Student Wellbeing: - Esther Jackson

Administration Officer: - Heather Neil (Mon - Thurs)
- Rosha Vincitorio (Fri)

Library Technician: - Deidre Campbell

Learning SupportOfficers:

- Deidre Campbell

- Rosha Vincitorio

- Lana Nikolic

- Themi Manou

- Cassie Bruce

Sacramental Dates in 2026

Please refer to the Education in Faith section of this newsletter for a letter from the Parish regarding 2026 Sacramental dates.

Student Leadership 2026

Great student leadership is best defined as the development of a student’s capacities to lead others including organisational skills, presentation skills and team-building abilities. It also refers to the development of leadership characteristics including accountability, integrity and reliability.

Leadership is demonstrated through a single act such as a student giving a verbal report at a school assembly. Great student leadership can also be shown over a long period of time as occurs when students hold leadership positions.

During last Monday's assembly, each Year 6 student was presented with a badge denoting their leadership role.

I take great privilege in announcing the Year 6 Student Leaders for the 2026 school year:

School Captains

Andrew J and Sophie W

School Vice Captains

Arabella B, Oliver F and Emily N

RE/School Parliament Leaders

Edward C and Connor G

The Arts/Library Leaders

Mila-Rose B and Sia K

Student Wellbeing Leaders

Millicent M and Alessia V

STEM Leader

Aksel R

Sustainability Leaders

Sebastian G, Archie H, Emily H

and Griffin M

Clarke House Captains

Oliver D and Oliver M

Fraser House Captains

Noah R and Tom W

Jackson House Captains

Tristan O-L and Chloe S

Perkins House Captains

Anne E and James E

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

If any families hold a current Health Care Card and are eligible for CSEF, please see Heather in the school office to obtain the necessary paperwork for completion.

Child Safety

School Gates

In order to satisfy Child Safe Standards, all external gates need to be locked between the hours of 9.00am - 3.00pm. Over the holiday break, locks were installed on the gates providing pedestrian access to the school from York Street and the two access points from Barton Street, i.e. next to the church, and the gate adjacent to the Administration entrance.

What this essentially means is that anyone entering or exiting the school during school hours must pass through the Administration Area, and sign in or out using the V-Pass system.

Child Safe Standards

The Child Safe Standards are a set of 11 requirements that organisations must follow to create a culture and environment that is safe for children. These standards aim to prevent, respond to, and report child abuse by requiring organisations to implement policies, procedures, and practices that put children’s safety and well-being first. They were developed in response to inquiries and recommendations from Royal Commissions and aim to drive cultural change within organisations that provide services or facilities for children.

OHR has implemented the Child Safe Standards since they were first introduced in 2016. Throughout the course of this year the school will embark on the '11 Months, 11 Standards' campaign, in which we will be focusing on one Victorian Child Safe Standard per month beginning with Child Safe Standard 1 in February.

For information on Child Safe Standard 1, go to the Child Safe Standards page in today's newsletter.

2026 Parent Gatherings

As has become an OHR tradition, we invite families to open up their homes to host one of three parent gatherings that are spaced throughout Term One on Friday evenings. These are warm and low key social events. There is very little for the host family to organise, with the exception of some tubs filled with ice so that people can chill their drinks.

We have currently set aside three dates for this term. Thank you to the Shepherd amd Prowse families for opening up their homes. We now only requie one family to host the Yrs 5/6 event.

Yrs Prep-2 Parent Evening: 20 February @ the Shepherd's home
Yrs 3&4 Parent Evening: 13 March @ the E & K Prowse's home
Yrs 5&6 Parent Evening: 27 March @ ________________

If interested in hosting the 5/6 evening, please let either Heather or myself know.

Term 1 School Closure Day for Staff Professional Leanring

Each term, one day is a designated as a school closure day for staff professional learning. The date set aside as a school closure day in Term 1, 2026, is Monday 23 February.

Wishing everyone a great weekend,

Frank

School Parliament News