Principal's Piece 

Term 2, Week 3

Thank you to all our mums, grandmas and family members who attended the Mother’s Day activity mornings this week. It was a wonderful way to begin the day, with a real sense of warmth, connection, and community spirit across the school. It was a pleasure to see families engaging in the art activity, sharing conversations, creativity and special moments together as a family. The students’ singing the Mother’s Day song was also very touching. Overall, it was a positive and heartfelt start to the day, one that truly celebrated the importance of mothers and the strong relationships within our community. We are also very grateful for the generous donations that were received. Over the two mornings, we raised $1640 for breast cancer research, your generosity is very much appreciated.

As part of our commitment to community engagement, our Year 1 students showcased their learning last week through a Mathematics Games Night with their families. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to share their learning in a fun and engaging way, with families participating in a range of hands-on maths games that highlighted key skills and concepts. These events strengthen connections between home and school and are a great opportunity for parents and families to come into the school, connect with staff and see firsthand the incredible work our students have been doing in the classroom.

Each year, our school participates in the Premier’s Reading Challenge, an initiative that encourages students to develop a love of reading and build lifelong literacy skills. This year’s theme, ‘stories to discover, stories to tell,’  invites students to explore a rich variety of texts and to share the joy of stories with others. Reading  plays a vital role in developing students’ imagination, vocabulary, comprehension, and overall learning success. We encourage all students to read regularly at home and to see reading as both an enjoyable and meaningful daily habit. A wonderful way to support this is through participation in the Premiers’ Reading Challenge, which provides students with the opportunity to broaden their reading experiences and celebrate their progress. We encourage all families to continue supporting a love of reading at home and to help students log their books for the challenge. Your child should have received their individual log in details. Please contact your child's teacher if you have not received them.

At Our Lady’s, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive environment where all children feel valued, respected and protected. As part of our ongoing commitment to child safety, Child Safe Standards 2 and 3 have now been added to the Child Safety page in the newsletter.  We will continue to highlight each of the 11 Child Safe Standards in our newsletter to help keep families informed and engaged in our shared responsibility of ensuring a safe environment for all children. We encourage all parents and carers to take the time to read through this important information and continue partnering with us in promoting a strong culture of child safety across our school community.

Prep Enrolments 2027 will close on Monday 18th May. If you have a child intending to commence school next year, enrolment forms are now available on our website.  Please finalise your enrolment in order to secure your child a place.

 https://www.olps.vic.edu.au/prep/

Happy Mother's Day to all our amazing mums on Sunday. Enjoy your special day with your families. 

School Closure Days this term:  Monday 8th June (Kings Birthday), Tuesday 9th June.  

Please check our school calendar for school closure days for the rest of the year and events happening this semester. 

God Bless and take care

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal