Principal's News
Dear Parents & Parishioners,
The weather could not have been better for last Friday's OHR Colour Run. With the temperature hovering around 20C, a bright sunny sky, a team of dedicated parent volunteers, and around 190 enthusiastic students, the stage was set for a festival of colour.
Eager faces anticipated the start of the spectacle. Senior students held the hands of their junior buddies, as they assembled at the start line which was framed by a garland of balloons. When given the green light to run, the students found they did not have to go far before reaching the first station, where they were bombed with colour by parents who were keenly lying in wait.
Shouts of delight could be heard as the students ran around the perimeter of the school. As they re-entered the grounds via the York Street gates, they were showered with further colour. The students then ran through a series of obstacle courses before concluding their lap with a solid workout lead by the our personal trainers, Emma and Chris. When the students completed their first entire lap, the only sound the staff could hear were cries imploring, "Can we do it again?". And so continued the afternoon - lap after colourful lap, until some students were barely recognisable.
To wrap up the successful afternoon, each child received a Zooper Dooper. Many couldn't beleive that it was actually free! Smiles all round.
Thank you to Linnea Reddie for organising all facets of this year's Colour Run. Also, a big shout out to all the parents who assisted on the day.
Select the button below to view an Instagram Reel created by Mrs Hansen.
Feast of Christ the King
This Sunday the Catholic Church observes the Feast of Christ the King. This feast day falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time and precedes the First Sunday of Advent, which commences the new Liturgical Year and marks the period of preparation for Christ’s coming at Christmas.
Two thousand years ago a King, who was very different to those who came before him walked the land. What were his followers to make of a King who had no army, who rode into his capital city on a donkey and said, “My Kingdom is not of this world”? What were his followers to make of a King who told them that he was not going to Jerusalem to take over government, but rather to be crucified?
Christ’s Kingdom still defies our full understanding, for this Kingdom has no borders to define it, no weapons or military to defend it. It is a Kingdom that seems to turn upside-down the very nature of a Kingdom, for the one who rules is the one who serves. What’s more, the character of the citizens of the kingdom is not a conquering character, one of harshness and self-seeking but one of gentleness and giving.
Jesus’ idea of Kingdom was so radically different, that when Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he said, “Do not conform yourselves by the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.” Rom. 12:2
Unfortunately, people throughout the centuries have misused and even manipulated for their own interests, the concept of God’s Kingdom. The Feast of Christ the King offers us the opportunity to renew within us the true characteristics of a citizen of the Kingdom, and to make them manifest to others by our words and actions.
2026 Prep Parent Dinner & Information Evening
We are looking forward to this evening's Parent Dinner & Information Evening for those parents who have a child commencing in Prep next year. Thank you to Tara Sutherland and all of this year's Prep families who have been busily preparing the food, refeshments and decorations for the hall. Your genorsity and community spirit will be felt by our new families.
Last Hurrah at OHR
The evening of Thursday 4 December offers the opportunity for all our parents to come together to farewell the parents of those children who will be leaving the school community at the end of this year. This is a very special night on the school calendar, and we encourage as many parents as possible to attend. The evening will be held in the hall and commence at 7.30pm.
On behalf of Fr Sang, the staff and parents at OHR, I would like to thank all the families who will be leaving and have contributed to the life of our school.
Family Welcome Mass
A good number of families turned up to last Sunday’s Family-lead Mass for the current Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students. The occasion also served as a welcome mass for our 2026 Prep families. The parish team were very impressed by the solid turn out.
Following some hospitality, many families chose to linger and mingle in the school grounds afterwards. For our new families, this served to convey the strong sense of community that is present at OHR.
OHR Twilight Christmas Celebration
Don't forget that the OHR Twilight Christmas Celebration will be held tomorrow, Friday 21 December, commencing at 5.00pm with our students singing Christmas Carols. Food and refreshments will be available. There will also be ice cream, face painting, and a visit by Santa. Refer to the PFA news, further in today's Newsletter, for details. The PFA encourages pre-purchase of tickets for food and activities to help minimise lengthy queues.
We encourage the children to dress up in something Christmassy!
We also ask that children arrive by 4.45pm in order that the carols can commence at 5.00pm sharp. Please allow ample time for car parking as the roads around the school will be busy.
2026 Classroom Teaching Staff
During recent months, I have been meeting with staff to plan for the 2026 school year. As always, careful consideration is given to the most suitable teaching and student support combinations that will benefit the children’s learning and development.
At this stage I can announce that the following classroom teaching staff will be educating and nurturing the growth of our children in 2026. Note, that following a lifetime dedicated to education, Mrs Margie Maher has made the decision to retire at the end of the current school year. Next week's Newsletter will detail a full list of all staff who will be employed at OHR in 2026.
The classroom teachers in 2026 comprise:
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)
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. All Parent Gatherings were well-attended earlier this year.
We have currently set aside three dates for 2026:
- Yrs Prep-2 Parent Evening: 20 February
- Yrs 3&4 Parent Evening: 13 March
- Yrs 5&6 Parent Evening: 27 March
If interested in hosting one of these evenings, please let either Heather or myself know.
Emails
As a school community, we recognise that email is an environmentally friendly way of communicating that can save time when used effectively. We acknowledge that email is very convenient for parents who are working and find it difficult to catch up with school staff during regular work hours. Having said that, our school community values both face-to-face and telephone conversations, and understands that these forms of communication are preferred in many situations. While communication via email is valued, the increasing volume and response expectations necessitate the development of some common practices. The primary responsibility of all teachers is to teach, and dealing with electronic communication unless urgent, must take second place.
We respectfully request that only non-vital messages are sent by this medium. For example, do not use email to inform a teacher that your child is to walk home that afternoon, as the teacher may not see the message in time. Remember that given work demands, teachers may not get to read emails until late in the day.
Please don’t seek to discuss in detail your child’s academic progress, learning expectations or behavioural issues via email. These are best addressed over the phone or in person.
Emails that are intended for the office staff should be sent directly to the school’s email address, that being: ohradmin@ohrsurreyhills.catholic.edu.au
Remember to respect staff personal time, including evenings, weekends and holidays. In accordance with 'The Right to Diconnect' legislation, emails should be scheduled within work hours.
It is the responsibility of every parent to keep the school administration up-to-date with current email addresses.
Seesaw Messages are occasionally used by teachers to send general reminders, however, this is not an effective tool with which to communicate with teachers.
Thank you for your understanding.
Student Absences
Whilst ensuring student attendance at school is the legal obligation of parents, supporting students to attend school each day is the shared responsibility of all parents, students, the school, and the wider community.
School attendance is important as it maximises life opportunities for children and young people by providing them with education and support networks. Positive engagement with schooling enhances academic and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.
All MACS schools must document their school-based procedures for monitoring and recording attendance. To meet legislated requirements and discharge a school’s duty of care, school staff must record student attendance twice per day in primary schools. Attendance must be recorded, including the reason given for each absence. All schools must maintain attendance records, identify, and follow up unexplained absences and develop procedures to support and maintain student attendance.
I encourage you to read the attached Attendance Policy for MACS Schools.
Next School Closure Day
- 2026 Planning Day - Monday 1st December
Wishing everyone a great weekend,
Frank