Dear Parents & Parishioners,

Last Friday's school mass, where we recognised the importance of ANZAC Day, proved to be a very special occasion which was well-attended by parents and relatives.

Brigadier John Holloway (father of Freddie in 3/4JH) delivered the introduction, where he spoke about the place of service in the ANZAC story. Service on Anzac Day means selfless commitment—giving one’s time, effort, and often safety for others, remembered with respect and gratitude. At its core, service refers to the commitment made by soldiers, sailors, air personnel, and nurses to protect their nation. Brigadier Holloway reminded the students that we are often called to be of service to others, including our friends and family. In his message, Brigadier Holloway quoted John 15:13:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

We serve others by putting their needs alongside or before our own, through kindness, time, effort, and action.

ANZAC Day Dawn Service

Last Friday morning, our School Captains, Sophie W and Andrew J, along with our Vice Captains, Arabella B, Oliver F and Emily N, represented Our Holy Redeemer at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Surrey Gardens.

Andrew spoke about medals, their meaning and context, while Sophie read about the special meaning behind the Rising Sun Badge which is traditionally worn on the left hand side of the turned up brim of the Slouch Hat.

Arabella, Oliver and Emily presented a wreath on behalf of the OHR community. All wreath bearers placed their wreaths at the foot of the Cenotaph.

I would like to acknowledge our School Captains and Vice Captains who represented our school so proudly, and extend my thanks to their families for attending this important occasion. We were joined by many other OHR families during the annual service.

House Cross Country

We had perfect conditions for Tuesday's House Cross Country. An amazing number of parents (and some grandparents) turned up to spectate and cheer the students on.

Congratulations to all the students who strived so hard to complete the course. Not an easy feat but a satisfying accomplishment to finish the event, nonetheless.

Thank you to those parents who also volunteered to assist throughout the afternoon.

For a full wrap-up of the day, please head to the PE News page.

Mothers' Day

It's only a little over a week away until both the annual Mothers' Day Breakfast followed by the Mothers' Day Stall. Both events occur next Friday 8 May.

Refer to the PFA News page for further details where you will also find a booking link for the breakfast.

Grandparents & Special Friends' Day

The school, with the assistance of some very dedicated parents, is planning this year's ‘Grandparents & Special Friends Day’. This special event will be celebrated on Friday 29 May. On this day we would love for either the grandparents of the children, or other special persons in their lives, to come to the school for the morning. The day will commence with a very special whole school mass in the church, celebrating the place of these important people in the lives of the children. The visitors will then be invited to partake in various activities within the classrooms. Following the classroom activities, our special guests are warmly invited to stay on for a delicious morning tea in the Hall.

Please mark this date in your calendar and commence sending out those important invitations!

Our annual Lamont Book Fair will be held in the LRC (Library) from Friday 22 May - Monday 1 June. Perhaps some of our visitors would like to make the most of their visit by popping into the LRC during the morning of Grandparents & Special Friends Day.

Winter Uniform

Commencing this Tuesday, 5 May, all children are required to be dressed in full winter uniform. Thank you.

Learning Walks for Parents

Come to the Staff Room this Wednesday, 6 May, for a coffee and then see first hand how children learn at our school through joining us on a Learning Walk for Parents.

Learning Walks are a great opportunity for parents to come to the school and, with other parents in a small group, be guided around classrooms by one of the school leaders. It is a great opportunity to observe what learning looks like in different levels of the school. These guided walks will provide you with:

A first-hand look into three selected classrooms to observe the learning
Special commentary and insights from school leaders
An opportunity to ask questions
A chance to meet, listen and learn with other parents

Our Learning Walk for Parents will commence at 8.45am. Please allow 45 minutes. If you have not previously attended a Learning Walk for Parents and would like to find out more, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Parents who have been on Learning Walks in the past are more than welcome to come along again, as the classrooms and learning we observe are always changing.

If you are interested in joining us on one of these walks please indicate your interest by selecting this link.

Learning & Teaching at OHR

Make sure you head to the Learning & Teaching News page to read about OHR's Public Speaking, where Mrs Canty has provided parent tips and addresses frequently asked questions.

Mrs Hansen has also provided an overview of our forthcoming Learning Snapshots, which comprise short, sharp presentations for parents. You are also invited to complete a simple survey.

Science Talent Search

For details of this year's Science Talent Search, head to Mrs Axon's article on the Science and STEM page. Registration close on 8 May.

Next Working Bee

The next Working Bee was orginally scheduled for Sunday 17 May. However, due to the fact that this falls on the morn following the Parents' Carnaval, we have moved the Working Bee to Sunday 31 May.

School Closure Days

We will have two school closure days for staff professional learning during Term 2. Therefore, there will be no school closure days during Term 3. The dates of the two school closure days are:

This Monday, 4 May
Friday 5 June (leading into the King's Birthday long weekend)

Wishing everyone a great weekend,

Frank

School News

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