Dear Parents & Parishioners,

In honour of the FIFA World Cup, students can come to school tomorrow dressed in the colours of their favourite nation.

At 12.00pm the Australia v Paraguay match will be televised on the big screen in the hall. All are welcome. We may also require a few parent volunteers to assist with the sausage sizzle.

Refugee Week

Last week we recognised National Refugee Week. The 2026 national theme is "A Million Stories". This theme marks a historic milestone: Australia welcoming its one-millionth permanent humanitarian visa holder since the end of World War II. It reflects on how a single story of survival can shape generations to come. At its core, the theme celebrates the collective impact of refugees and the communities that welcome them.

What started as a local initiative here in Australia has grown into an international movement, with celebrations now taking place in more than 20 countries.

The Socceroos squad at the FIFA World Cup highlights Australia's multicultural identity, featuring several key players from refugee backgrounds. These athletes, who spent their early years in displacement camps or fleeing conflict, serve as inspiring symbols of resilience and belong to the UN's symbolic "Gamechanging Team".

The following video was shared with our students during Monday morning's school assembly. The powerful video message communicates the players' pride in their heritage and what it means to play for the national team.

Who's Got the Problem?

During Monday's assembly we also discussed that when an individual is negative towards others, by putting them down, it isn't the target who has the problem but the person who displays the hostility.

Josh Paul, a junior football (soccer) coach has many life lessons for the young people he trains. In this session, Josh explores the topic of 'who who really has the problem'.

Parent-Teacher Conversations

Parent-Teacher Conversations will be held on:

Wednesday 22 July: 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Thursday 23 July: 1.30pm - 4.30pm

Therefore, the students will be dismissed from school at 1.00pm on Thursday 23 July. During the first week of Term 3, details will be emailed to families enabling parents to book their preferred time/s.

End of Term 2 & PFA Sausage Sizzle

Don't forget that the students will be dismissed at 1.00pm tomorrow to commence their school holidays. The end of term PFA Sausage Sizzle will be held prior to dismissal time. The cost for a sausage in bread is a gold coin donation. Money raised from the sausage sizzle will go towards the purchase of new toys for the sandpit.

Learning Snapshots

As part of our Family Engagement focus this year, we are implementing Learning Snapshots which will take place regularly between 8:45 - 9am (at dropoff) or 3:00 - 3:15pm (at pickup), commencing next term. The Learning Snapshots are designed to best support you when working and guiding your child at home with their learning. Each session runs for only 15 minutes, thereby making them accessible for busy parents.

Topic	Date	Time
Reading	Tuesday, 21 July	3.00pm
Growth Mindset	Thursday, 6 August	8.45am
Maths	Thursday, 20 August	3.00pm
Talking with your child about talk	Tuesday, 1 September	8.45am

Living and Growing Program

Parents with children in Years 3 - 6, should head to the Student Wellbeing page for details of the Living and Growing Program that will be held next term.

ICAS Competition 2026

For parents of students in Years 2-6, please refer to the Learning & Teaching News page for information about the ICAS Competitions in 2026 and how to enrol.

And Finally ...

What a busy term we have had. It's clear that the students are beginning to tire. As Term 2 draws to a close, I would like to acknowlwedge the growth that all students have made since the beginning of this year. Congratulations to our Prep students who have come such long way in a relatively short time. Next term they will celebrate 100 Days of Learning.

Reflecting on the term, a lot has occured including, but not limited to: our second Open Morning; year 5/6 Interschool Sport; the Mothers' Day Breakfast followed by the Mother's Day Stall; year 3/4 time away at Camp Jungai; Prep 2027 Family Enrolment Meetings; Science Talent Search; Hockey Clinics; Cross Country - school, District, and Division; Grandparents & Special Friends' Day; the Lamont Book Fair; Cyber Safety Education Program - all levels; Working Bee; preparations for next term's OHR Art Show; Guided Learning Walk for Parents; a number of Excursions; OHR Brazilian Carnaval; OHR Public Speaking Season; and the list goes on. Basically, a term full of community building and learning.

It's now time for the students to take some time out to sleep in, catch up with family and friends, and simply take a break from the school routine.

Wishing everyone a great winter break,

Frank Dame

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