Dear OLA Families

We trust you have had a relaxing break and that your children have enjoyed their first few days back at school for 2023. It has been lovely to all be back together again.

We have been so lucky to have had some sunny and bright mornings to start our school year (except for this morning!). The week began with two precious days of one-on-one meetings where our teachers were privileged to get to know and learn more about each individual child. The one on one meetings between students and teachers continued to prove to be time well spent in forming positive relationships, easing back into life at school and capturing where each student is with their learning and where they need to go to next.

We sincerely thank our staff and parents for supporting and preparing our students so well for their return to school.

We welcomed our Grade 1-6 students for their first full day on Wednesday and our 44 new Preps on Thursday. It has been terrific to welcome our 2023 Prep children, along with their families to the OLA community! Each year our ‘preppies’ bring a delightful sense of excitement and enthusiasm to our community. Our Preps have managed their first couple of days at school with an amazing calmness and keenness to take in everything! The feedback from all staff has been so positive - they have adjusted to school life so quickly and confidently. Supported by Mrs Lee, Mrs Harrison, Mrs Berley and Mrs Hudson, the Preps' readiness to embrace the full school experience has been quite exceptional. It is wonderful to see how eager, confident and enthusiastic these children have been.

Thank you to our Grade 1 Parents and Friends representatives for organising such a scrumptious Welcome Morning Tea for all our new families. It was our first Morning Tea in the Community Hub and we will be doing it again! It was a great success and a lovely opportunity for new and current parents to explore our brand new facilities and mingle with each other.

We also warmly welcome the following children into classes from Grade One through to Grade Six. We welcome Ava P (1/2MV), Josephine T (1/2CE), Keira D (5/6NC), Isabel M (3/4ST), Meika J (1/2CE), Kobi J (5/6SP), Zoe K (3/4ST) and Demi K (5/6NC). We hope that our new children find great happiness, and many new friendships, as they settle into the OLA community. We send a warm welcome to all new families who are joining our wonderful community and look forward to getting to know you this year.

We also extend a warm welcome to our new staff members:

Mrs Sharan Talbot - Administration Assistant

Mrs Trish O’Gorman - Performing Arts Teacher

Mrs Cassandra Elliott - Grade 1/2 CE Classroom Teacher

Mrs Yueni Yang - Grade 1/2 KM Classroom Teacher for Term 1

who are joining our team this year. We also welcome back Mrs Liz Thompson - PE, from her maternity leave. We are thrilled to have you all as part of our OLA community.

Classroom Environments

Thank you to our staff for maintaining such high standards and expectations whilst creating a caring and kind environment. The classrooms and learning areas are looking so organised, clean and fresh and the displays are bright and engaging.

Positive Behaviour Support

Last Friday the staff gathered for a Professional Learning day where we were led by Patrice Wiseman on school wide Positive Behaviour Support. This was a great day of learning where we worked on further developing a consistent and positive approach to engaging students in the classroom, creating positive classroom environments and managing difficult behaviours. We enjoyed coffees and lunch from The Tradesman and we are grateful for their support and care.

Family Picnic Postponed

Our Welcome Picnic has been postponed this evening due to predicted high winds, storms and rain. Stay warm and dry this evening and we will try again on Friday 24 February from 5.00-7.00pm. Thank you to our dedicated P&F team for being so open to rescheduling. Families are to BYO food, drinks and picnic rugs/chairs.

Welcome Mass

All families are warmly invited to attend our Opening School Year Welcome Mass on Thursday 9 February at 9.15am. In addition to this being the Opening Year Mass, Fr Alan will also bless our Grade 6 leaders badges and the staff will be blessed and commissioned for the year ahead. We would love you to join us and to sit with your child.

School Newsletter and School Assemblies

This is the first school newsletter of 2023 and we will circulate our newsletter each fortnight through the online portal, iNewsletter. The Newsletter will be emailed to all families and will also be uploaded to our school website. Families please note that at the bottom of the iNewsletter page there is a tab that you can click on that provides access to the newsletter being translated into different languages.

Throughout the year, assembly will be held every other fortnight on Friday at 2.30pm in Brigid Hall. We celebrate Class Awards and GOTCHA Awards, in addition to a class presentation. Parents you are welcome and encouraged to attend. Our next Assembly will be Friday 10 February at 2.30pm.

Parent Information Night - This Thursday 9/2/23

On Thursday 9 February, we will host our Parent Information Night here at OLA. This night is a fantastic opportunity for parents to partner with the school, hear about the vision of the school, visit your child’s classroom, meet with your child’s teacher and learn about the structures and routines in their class. We held this for the first time last year and parents appreciated being able to meet their child’s teacher, get to know other parents, see where their child sits, what classroom expectations are and to learn some tips and tricks about how and what their child is going to be learning. Please note that this is not the Parent/Teacher Interview for your child - these are scheduled for Thursday 2 March.

6.00-6.30pm P-2 Teachers and parents meet in Brigid Hall - Principal presentation

6.30-7.00pm P-2 Teachers lead parents to children’s classrooms for presentation

6.30-7.00pm 3-6 Teachers and parents meet in Brigid Hall - Principal presentation

7.00-7.30pm 3-6 Teachers lead parents to children’s classrooms for presentation

If you have more than one child in one age bracket, you are welcome to stay in one and send another family member to the other class or move between the classrooms. Please do not feel uncomfortable about this - we understand.

Babysitting will be provided - please RSVP via email to Sharan Talbot in our front office if you would like this support stalbot@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

School Tours

Requests for School Tours have begun already! Enrolments for Prep 2024 are now open and we encourage all families to submit their applications as soon as possible. If you have a child or you know someone wanting to tour schools for their child, please enco

urage them to book a school tour online on the school website or call Sharan in our front office to book a school tour. If you are not able to make these tours please note that you are also welcome to call to make a time that does work for you.

Billboards

We thank Harvey L, Nya S, Raf C, Arial S, Amelia R andHarry M for being the representatives of the many faces in our school on this years billboards and School Tour brochures. We also thank Brian Lewin and Lewin Real Estate for continuing to sponsor the five billboards dotted along Centre Dandenong Road, the Car Park and at the Wilson Street entrance. We are so grateful for this generous contribution.

Free Engraving of bikes in Cheltenham

Cheltenham Rotary Club is having another free bike engraving day with Victoria Police. The event will take place this Sunday 5 February, 8.00am-1.00pm at the Undercover Market, 1 Railway Road, Cheltenham. Further details can be found at the Community News tab.

Calendar

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

Key Dates for next two weeks

Week 3
Monday 6 February	Grade 1/2 Inform and Empower Incursion
	7:30pm P&F Meeting
Tuesday 7 February	Safer Internet Day
	Grade 3/4 Inform and Empower Incursion
	Grade 5/6 Inform and Empower Incursion
Wednesday 8 February	Prep Day of Rest
Thursday 9 February	9:15am Opening School Year & Staff Commissioning Mass
	6:00pm P-2 Parent Information Night with Classroom Teachers
	6.30pm 3-6 Parent Information Night with Classroom Teachers
Friday 10 February	2:30 Whole School Assembly

Week 4
Monday 13 February	AFL Hawthorn Blind and Wheelchair Incursion
	Grade 4 and 5 Bike Ed
Tuesday 14 February	Grade 4 and 5 Bike Ed
Wednesday 15 February	Prep Day of Rest
	Grade 4 and 5 Bike Ed
Thursday 16 February	7:00am Swim Squad
	7:00pm Peaceful Kids for Parents Seminar at OLA with Georgina Manning - A must attend

Celebrations

Grade 5/6 Sport on Fridays

Happy Friday is certainly the feel and buzz in the corridors of the 5/6 area on a Friday morning and today was no exception. Well done to our 5/6 teachers and students for braving the extra cool morning to play cricket, softball and tennis outside this morning.

Great to see so many skills being modelled and then time on task to improve practice.

Boxing Days Test on the MCG!

What a wonderful opportunity! Two of our OLA boys, Noah (xx) and Phoenix (xx) represented their Le Page Park Cricket Club and had the privilege of standing in front of the Australian Cricket Team on the MCG for the Boxing Day Test. We are so proud of you both. Another wonderful benefit of being involved in community sport.

Front Page of the Herald Sun!

Another proud moment for OLA with Cleo (1/2xx) hitting the front page of the Herald Sun over the school holidays. The article had a great message around safety and integrity of sport for all generations of athletes. There is nothing quite like the feeling of connection and belonging. Way to go Cleo!

This has been such a great week and we thank you all for your support.

May this also be a great year for you, your families and all in our OLA community.

These first few weeks are exciting and tiring all at once so it is super important that extra rest and sleep are an option this weekend. May we all get some well deserved rest!

Richard Jacques

Principal

Canteen