Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families,

Over the last two weeks we have held our Annual General Meetings (AGMs) for the OLA Parents and Friends (P&F) and also the OLA School Advisory Council (OSAC).

Not only has it been an opportunity to thank these wonderful groups of volunteers but it has also been an exciting time to reflect on 2023 and celebrate all the exciting opportunities that have been on offer for the children at OLA. It also is a great reminder of how much we appreciate being part of this very special community.

I encourage you to read the 2023 OSAC Report and 2023 P&F Report below and I'm sure you will join me in thanking both Linda and Andy and their teams for their commitment and support with helping to create such a buzz in our community especially over the last twelve months. Thank you also to the amazing P&F for their hard work in fundraising with efforts exceeding $40,000 - the highest achieved in the last four years. An amazing effort!!

OSAC Annual Report 2023 

P&F Annual Report 2023

So much to celebrate...

It has been an exciting year for OLA. We have achieved higher scores in NAPLAN especially in Mathematics which has been our focus for the last two years. This bucks the trend of other primary schools for which we are very proud. We also received higher scores in our parent feedback through MACSSIS. We have enjoyed over 40 Preps. We hit capacity in many classes with 26 children and this resulted in us developing our first waiting lists. As a result we are adding two extra classes in 2024. Thank you to our parents, students and staff for continuing to be the best form of marketing by way of word of mouth that any school could have. Your stories as families of OLA inspire others in the local community to visit us and see what is possible for their children and them as a family. The reputation of OLA is very positive and is growing in the Cheltenham community. We make decisions at OLA based on the students and they are always our number one priority.  We have seen many special memories created this year and the delight on the children’s faces makes it obvious how much joy comes from having their parents visit the classroom or when they are present for prayer services or masses, guided parent learning walks or expos, helping out at sporting events, excursions or at Working Bees. I thank OSAC and P&F parent representatives for helping generate great enthusiasm and excitement. You have not only helped make each other feel welcome and part of these great teams but you have helped so many families feel welcome and deeply connected to this great community. 

Important Information for 2024

Whilst we are finishing off the year with great momentum we are also securing staffing and plans for next year. I am pleased to inform you of the following developments for 2024:

We will be introducing Indonesian as the language the children will be learning at OLA in 2024. Indonesian is also taught at feeder schools like St Bede's and OLSH. Whilst we are sad to not to be continuing with Japanese we love that our community will be learning about such a rich culture and one of our nearest neighbouring countries. It is also refreshing to know that it is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. We might have to also try the popular Indonesian dishes of beef rendang and nasi goreng! We look forward to learning more about Indonesia's beauty, delicious food and the kindness and charm of its people.

2024 Enrolments per level:

We will be adding an extra class to the Grade1/2 and Grade 3/4 areas enabling our Prep-Grade 4 classes to be around 20 students per class. This means we are growing from 10 classes to 12 classes at OLA in 2024. With Grade 1 and Grade 2 we have looked at the learning styles of the children and teachers, the student numbers, finances etc. and have determined that the best combination for next year is two straight Grade 1 classes and two straight Grade 2 classes. We will continue with multilevel classes for Grade 3/4 and Grade 5/6.

Class Structures for 2024

As part of the new EBA, staff are to receive 40 minutes extra each week for planning and preparation. Through our OLA Consultative Committee the staff have voted to have that time acrue and be given to them in full days so that they can have a day before the end of each term to plan and collaborate as a team and be ready for teaching and learning for the following term. Teachers will be released one day each term to do this important work. As part of the EBA we will also see the gates being open to the main yard as they already are at 8.30am with a Leadership Team member present but the gates opening into classrooms will not be opened until 8.35am each day.

Staffing 2024

In addition to Eliza Jones, Emilie Brady and Emma Tiberi we are also delighted to welcome Lou Watts (Language Teacher) and Michael Glennon (Classroom Teacher) who are joining our wonderful community in 2024. We are also fortunate to be able to welcome back Mark Bucilli who will teach one day in the 5/6 area in 2024.

Lou Watts

Hello OLA community. My name is Lou Watts and I am very excited to be joining your school in 2024. I have been teaching Indonesian language and culture for almost 20 years. The majority of my teaching career has been spent at St Leonard’s College, however for the past 6 years I have loved teaching Indonesian and Art at St Joseph’s Primary in Black Rock. In my free time I love keeping fit and spending time in the ocean. I love to surf with my husband and two children, Ruby and Tom.  I also love to travel and especially get excited about exploring the unique and diverse cultures of Indonesia.  I can't wait to meet you all very soon! 

Michael Glennon

Hi, my name is Michael Glennon, and I am thrilled to be joining the Our Lady of the Assumption community in 2024. I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where I began my teaching career around 9 years ago. Since then, I have taught in various parts of Europe as an English teacher. I made the move to Melbourne approximately 6 years ago, where I have had the pleasure of teaching all across the city, spending two years in Dandenong and the last three years in Essendon. My teaching experience has primarily been in middle school and upper grades, ranging from Grade 3 to Grade 6. Outside of school, I am an avid sports enthusiast, participating in volleyball, tennis, soccer, and more recently, pickleball! I also enjoy reading and writing. I proudly support my home team, Celtic, who play in green and white. I'm looking forward to meeting each and every one of you in 2024. 

Staff Update 

Kelly Herat  

Many of you will already know that we are adding two classes next year and class numbers from P-4 will be around 20 per class. Our NCCD funding will also be lower in 2024 with a reduction in the number of students identified with specific needs and learning adjustments. In addition to the Admin days being reduced by 2 days we are also reducing Learning Support Officer time and unfortunately we are not able to renew Kelly Herat's contract as an LSO here at OLA in 2024. We thank Kelly for her support and care of the students and we are grateful for all she has done and continues to do for our community. Thank you Kelly for your passion in supporting children one on one, in small groups and even as a whole class. 

I cannot believe it has been 5 years already. I have so many fond memories and highlights but I will just mention a few. Working with the children has definitely been my number one highlight. Watching them learn and grow is the reason I got into being an LSO. They always put a smile on my face. I will miss the lovely families that make the OLA community. Everyone always says hello and sometimes we even get time for a chat. I can not thank the staff at OLA enough for the friendships and all that I have learnt during my time here. I have truly worked with some amazing people. I will miss the children, the families and all the staff dearly. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of such a beautiful community. Kelly Herat

Kirsten Millinski 

Kirsten Millinski came to meet with me recently and while she was excited about the thought of returning to teach at OLA next year she has been advised and has come to realise that her body is not up for the challenge of being in front of a classroom four days per week. This is sad for her and all of us as she was so looking forward to returning to OLA in 2024. We continue to pray for Kirsten and her recovery from cancer and we love her visits and updates.

Fi Lee 

Fi Lee, one of our current Prep Teachers, will be taking a well deserved 12 month break in 2024 to cherish precious family moments with her family. Recently at our Prep Orientation Night Fi shared with the families that not only has she worked at OLA for the last 18 years but she also went to school here at OLA. This is an amazing acheievement and we are so grateful to have Fi as part of our OLA community. We thank Fi for her unwavering commitment to the OLA community.  Her positive relationships with students, parents and staff are very much appreciated and it is always a joy to see Fi teaching and inspring our students. 

I have been a part of this beautiful OLA community since I was a prep student here many years ago and here I am teaching prep.  Full circle! OLA is a part of who I am.  As a child and as an adult. For the past 18 years I have been lucky enough to teach in this amazing school.  I have met so many wonderful families and taught and watched their children develop and grow both academically and as young people. I have worked alongside so many talented and passionate teachers and grown so much under the leadership of Richard and Leonie. Teaching is a hard job. I love this job but it is all consuming. I want to be the best teacher I can be but I am also a mum and want to be the best mum I can be too. The years go by so fast and my boys are growing up too quickly for my liking! So with this in mind I have decided to take a year's leave and explore other aspects of teaching and life and spend more time supporting my boys and my family. I look forward to the reset and coming back refreshed in 2025. Fi Lee

We look forward to saying thank you and farewell to these staff members at the End of Year Prayer Service and Assembly at 9.00am on Friday 15 December. I know you will join me in celebrating these staff members and showing gratitude for their amazing contributions to our community.

Guided Learning Walk for Parents

On Monday 13 November we hosted a Guided Learning Walk for parents focussed on Reading at OLA. We visited PCH, 1/2KM and 5/6NC and we were super proud of the students, their learning and the teachers providing such engaging and challenging teaching.  Thank you to our Literacy Leader, Deputy Principal and Learning & Teaching Leader for leading the learning walk and thank you to our parents for joining us. Participants shared one word that descibed what they saw: proud, engaged, differentiated, impressive, affirming.

As a parent who recently embarked on the literacy walk spanning Prep to Grade 6, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and satisfaction. Witnessing the dedication and expertise of the teachers, confirmed our children are in passionate, skilled hands. 

It was evident the literacy program thrives on cultivating a love of learning through reading, interactive activities and communication while being individualised to each student. It was a privilege to participate in the walk and highly recommend any parent attend future opportunities. Renee W (Mum of Charlie and Flynn)

Prep 2024 Orientation Sessions 

It has been a delight to welcome our new Preps for 2024. There has been much excitement as we welcome our Class of 2024! These kids are so ready to start school and we can't wait to have them with us next year. It has also been extra beautiful to see the big brothers and sisters welcoming the next member of their family into the school. 

The parents have also been making the most of the time together, learning about our school, the curriculum and meeting fellow parents who could very well be their friends for life!! We thank Frank's Cafe for hosting our first morning tea all together while the children enjoyed their first orientation morning at school.

Play at the Park      Tuesday 28 November         9.00am 

Play at the Park organised by OLA P&F.           

Kingston Heath Reserve, 285 Centre Dandenong Road, Cheltenham. 

Session 3         Tuesday 5 December       9.00am – 11.00am

Parents are encouraged to remain onsite for information on Literacy and Numeracy and Classroom Helper Training.

Mission H2O School Production

Less than a week to go!!

Our School Production will be performed next Thursday 30 November at Kingston City Hall from 6.00-7.30pm. 

Thank you to all families for sourcing costumes and for placing in a labelled bag and delivering this to your child's classroom teachers.

Ticket Update

Tickets went live at 10am on Wednesday 15 November - we have currently sold 460 tickets. There are four seats available per family. Additional tickets will be made available at 10am on Thursday 23 November for families wanting to purchase extra seats.

DVD

Encore Videography will be capturing our school production to sell in the form of DVD/USB/Digital Download.  The link for payment is:

https://encorevideography.com.au/w/store/#!/Our-Lady-of-the-Assumption-Parish-Primary-School-Mission-H20-2023/p/603692973/category=0 

As our production is towards the end of the school year we will be aiming for this to be ready prior to Thursday 14 December.  The link will be able to be emailed to all who purchase it as soon as it is ready and the DVD or USB will be handed out at school. The closing date for DVD orders will be Friday 8 December.

Photographs

Encore Videography will also be taking photographs of the students on stage and these will be made available after the event and they can also be purchased online similar to the DVD. These details will be provided following the production when the photos are ready for sharing.

If you have any further questions please call Corey Payton on 0498 185 295.

Amazing entries

The entries for the ‘Mission H20 Program Front Cover’ have been many and they are all so creative! All entries have been mounted and displayed and children received a chocolate frog for participating. We congratulate the following students on their winning entries:

Adrian M (PCH)

Yazmin P (1/2CE) & Sophia K (1/2CE)

Cleo K (3/4TR)

Alice W (5/6NC) & Eliza O (5/6NC)

Giving thanks can be the greatest gift of all

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is excited to be launching a Christmas campaign in December. The focus of the campaign will be on giving the biggest thanks possible to our amazing teachers. To make the campaign more special, students have the chance to be part of it. MACS has created an online form at www.macsbiggestthanks.comwhere students can write a message of thanks to the teacher who has helped them to flourish, whether by igniting their passion in a certain subject or by inspiring them to believe in themselves.

Not only will the messages of thanks be shared with teachers, but some of the students’ messages will appear on billboards around Melbourne and in future communications. We need parent/carer/guardian consent in the online form to give students the chance of having their message used in this way. The form will be open until Friday 1 December. We look forward to seeing the messages of joy and positivity from students as we celebrate our wonderful teachers this Christmas.

Calendar

Please open the ‘Key Dates and Events’ tab in this newsletter for important dates or access the OLA Calendar here.

Please note the following change of dates:

Key dates for the next 2 weeks...

Other key dates this term...

This term there is much to look forward to with some of the highlights including:

OLA School Production - Mission H20 - Thursday 30 November at Kingston Arts Centre

Grade 1-6 Orientation for 2024 - meet new teacher - Thursday 7 December

Prep Nativity at OLA - Monday 11 December @ 9am

Grade 6 Graduation - Thursday 14 December 

End of Year Assembly for Prep - Grade 5 - Friday 15 December @ 9am

EXTRA CLOSURE DAY in 2024 

Please note we have our 4 year School Review in 2024 and as part of this important process we will be working with staff from the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools on Monday 12 February. This will be a pupil free day.

OLA Fete

Our OLA Fete Team would love to ask families who have a tidy up in their homes this summer to keep hold of the good quality items (such as second hand/preloved items like books and toys) and bring them in for the Fete Team to store in the new year.

Working Bee

We are looking forward to welcoming families to the Term 4 OLA Working Bee , TOMORROW Saturday 25 November from 10.00am-12.00pm.  

We especially welcome the following families who are rostered on:

If you are not able to make it you are welcome to make a donation to the school. 

Please bring along your tools such as wheelbarrows, blowers/blower vacs, whipper snippers, rakes, shovels, brooms, hedge trimmers, secateurs and other gardening tools.  

Congratulations

Remembrance Day @ Cheltenham RSL

Congratulations to our Grade 6 School Captains who represented OLA at the recent Remembrance Day Service at the Cheltenham RSL Cenotaph. We are grateful and proud of you for representing our great school at this important community event. 

Literacy Activities in Grade 1/2

Through children's literature, the Junior students have been reflecting on the qualities of a scientist.  They have completed directed drawing sessions with some of the end prodcuts being shared here - outstanding and so creative!

Prayer Services

Congratulations to 1/2CE on a beautiful prayer service celebrated with their families. Beautiful singing and lovely prayers. Thank you to all families for your support. That concludes our Prep and Grade 1/2 Class Prayer Services for 2024 - such a lovely highlight of the school year.

New Baby...

Congratulations to Ramya and her husband Selva on the safe and healthy arrival of Nila who was born on 16 November. A baby sister for Aathi in 1/2MV.  This is such a precious time and we send our OLA love and very best to you all.

Thank you all for helping make these last few weeks of our school year such happy and memorable ones. We hope all our actors and actresses are rehearsing their lines and dance moves at home for their families and in front of the mirror! Please remember Friday 1 December is a School Closure Day.

Richard Jacques

Principal