This Week At OOPS

Preps Community Helpers

Our Prep students welcomed another special community helper to our school today. This time it was a police officer! 👮🚔

The students enjoyed learning about the important role police officers play in keeping our community safe. They revised the emergency number to call when help is needed, explored the equipment and uniform used by police officers, and even had the exciting opportunity to inspect a real police car and sit in the driver's seat!

One of the highlights of the visit was learning about police dogs and horses. The students were fascinated by these special members of the police force and had lots of questions about the important work they do.

A big thank you to Lisa from the Forest Hill Police Department for taking the time to visit and share her knowledge and experiences with our students. We loved having you at our school!

Our Prep students had an exciting second visit from our local firefighters today! 🚒

The students loved exploring the fire engine, learning about the important tools and equipment that the firefighters use, and even getting a chance to spray the fire hose themselves! What a fun and memorable experience.

A big thank you to our wonderful firefighters for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with us. ❤️👨‍🚒👩‍🚒

Dragon Boat Festival

This Friday, students celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival that commemorates the poet Qu Yuan and promotes cultural understanding. Throughout the week, students have enjoyed a range of hands-on activities in their Mandarin classes. Grade 2 students participated in a Zong Zi tasting session, exploring the flavours and traditions associated with this special festival, while our Year 6 students learnt how to make Zong Zi, the traditional sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. To finish the celebrations, students  took part in a fun dragon boat race in class, bringing the excitement and spirit of the festival to life.

2026 Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and we’re excited to be taking part! Nightly reading is already an important part of our homework program at OOPS, and we encourage students to include the Challenge as part of their regular reading at home.

Student login: https://vprcidentity.eduweb.vic.gov.au/account/login

Student login details will be placed in homework books for easy reference.

All children from birth to Year 10 are welcome to participate. This year’s Challenge theme is ‘Stories to discover. Stories to tell.’ Stories can inspire and challenge us, help us grow, and open our eyes to new worlds and new ways of thinking.

Challenge reading requirements:• Prep–Year 2: 30 books (20+ from the Challenge list)• Year 3–6: 15 books (10+ from the Challenge list)

All children who complete the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former premiers.

To learn more about the Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

Please contact the office if you have any questions.

Happy reading!

The English Working Party

Year  4 Tall Ships

On Tuesday 17 June, our Year 4 students stepped back in time with an exciting excursion to Williamstown, setting sail aboard the Enterprize, a magnificent replica of a 19th-century sailing ship. This term, the Year 4 classes have been exploring the history of the First Fleet and the invasion of Australia. Boarding the ship provided a hands-on opportunity for students to experience what the challenging journey to Australia was like for convicts. The young crew of Year 4s fully embraced life at sea by helping to hoist the sails, taking turns steering the vessel, and ringing the ship's signal bell. It was an unforgettable day on the high seas!

Supporting Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing at Home

At Old Orchard Primary School, we recognise that supporting children's mental health and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between school and home. As part of this commitment, we would like to share a range of free support services and resources available to families through SAFEMinds. SAFEMinds is an evidence-based initiative developed by headspace to help schools and families recognise, respond to and support children.

The Parent Support Resources guide provides access to services such as Partners in Parenting, headspace, ReachOut, Beyond Blue, eSafety, and Medicare Mental Health, offering information, advice, and support for parents, carers, and young people. These services offer practical strategies, online resources, peer support and pathways to professional help when needed.

We encourage families to explore these resources and keep them handy should support ever be needed.

To access the Parent Support Resources guide, visit:https://safeminds.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Parent-Support-Resources_SAFEMinds.pdf There are also copies of this guide up at the office outside sick bay.

If you have any concerns about your child's mental health or wellbeing, please contact your child's classroom teacher or Adam Todd via email adam.todd@education.vic.gov.au 

Why Writing Matters

Writing is a vital skill that supports learning across all areas of the curriculum. It helps children organise their thoughts, solve problems, and develop critical thinking skills. Writing, reading, speaking and listening are closely connected. Regular writing practice improves spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, and reading comprehension, helping children become more confident communicators. This valuable skill also provides an important outlet for creativity and self-expression, allowing children to share ideas, tell stories, and build self-confidence.

Simple Ways to Encourage Writing at Home

The best writing opportunities are often part of everyday life. Here are some simple ways families can involve their children in the process:

Prep – Year 2

• Draw a picture and write a sentence about it.
• Label items around the house.
• Write shopping lists together.
• Leave notes for family members.
• Keep a holiday or weekend diary.
• Write captions for photographs.
• Practise writing favourite words, names, and simple stories.

Years 3 – 4

• Keep a journal or diary.
• Write letters, postcards, or emails to family and friends.
• Create comic strips with speech bubbles.
• Write instructions for a game or recipe.
• Record interesting facts about hobbies, pets, or sports.
• Write alternative endings to favourite books.

Years 5 – 6

• Write reviews of books, movies, or games.
• Create stories, comics, or graphic novels.
• Keep a travel or activity journal.
• Write persuasive pieces about topics they care about.
• Research an interest and create an information report.
• Set writing challenges such as "100 words in 10 minutes."

Most Importantly…

Talk first! Children often find writing easier when they have discussed their ideas beforehand. Ask open-ended questions such as:

• What happened first?
• Why do you think that happened?
• What was your favourite part?
• How did that make you feel?

Remember, every writing experience counts. Notes, lists, messages, stories, and journals all help children develop confidence and skills as writers. Praise effort, celebrate creativity and focus on sharing ideas.