Pastoral Academic Care (PAC)
Junior: RIGHT BEFORE WRONG
Senior: WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT IT?
Wellbeing Element: Engagement + mindfulness
Character Strength: Love
Parent Wellbeing: your breathing is the key ingredient in you feeling calm and confident. Try this to feel great. For 10 deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, stand up and imagine there is an invisible wire holding your head upright, push your shoulders back and tighten your buttocks. Do this several times daily. How did you feel after doing this exercise?
Benilde
Term 2 has begun!
Welcome back to everyone and welcome to all our few new students who have joined O’Connor this term. Term 2 is an exciting term filled with sporting events, extracurricular activities, school events and academic reports.
Our senior students have started getting their half yearly reports which include comments from their teachers. Make sure you read them carefully and ask any questions to your teachers and KLA leaders if needed. We will have Student/Parent/Teacher conferences later this term where you and your adults can check in with their teachers and get real time advice moving forward towards exams.
We are excited for the Athletics Carnival today which may look more like a swimming carnival with all the rain we have had in the lead up to this event. Thank you to all students who have been getting involved in chants, costumes and just turning up and having a go. We notice you and we appreciate you.
Good luck to all our Drama and Music students with Eisteddfod over the next few weeks, the students always do their best and make the college proud. Good luck to our Rugby and Soccer players next week who are heading to Inverell for their respective sports - the whole college supports you.
Remember if you ever need to reach out myself and the PAC teachers are happy to talk over email or meetings.
Miss Elizabeth Plane
House Leader - Benilde
La Salle
Term 2 has started well, with La Salle students showing focus, energy, and a positive attitude. It’s great to see our students settling in quickly and getting involved.
We would like to acknowledge the respect shown during our recent ANZAC Ceremony. Students displayed genuine reverence, helping us honour those who have served in a meaningful and respectful way.
Last week we also took time to support Do It For Dolly Day — standing together to spread kindness and raise awareness about the importance of mental health and anti-bullying. Thank you to everyone who wore blue, took part in activities, and helped promote a message of care and respect for others. A special thank you to Shyan Dodd for delivering a powerful and heartfelt address to the La Salle house.
Joe Schmude our La Sallian Youth Mentor and Saloan recognised a true ‘ La Salle Legend’ in our community — Sienna Bastian and thank her for leadership and support in her PAC class. This award recognises her participation, service and leadership. Her efforts highlights the positive culture we’re building together.
Our Year 7 Camp was another highlight of the term so far. It provided students with the chance to get to know each other, take on new challenges, and explore a range of adventures. More importantly, it helped build a strong sense of community as they begin their OCC journey together.
Our senior students have been working hard on their assessments this term. They are encouraged to stay focused, build their knowledge and skills, and develop effective study techniques to prepare for the important months ahead. Their dedication and resilience set a strong example for the rest of the school.
There’s also been great energy in our House Meetings. It’s been encouraging to see students stepping up, getting involved, and showing real house spirit as we gear up for one of the biggest events of the term — the Athletics Carnival.
This year’s carnival is shaping up to be a great day. We’re expecting strong participation, loud cheering, and a big display of green to identify our house. It’s a great chance to support each other, have fun, and show what La Salle spirit looks like.
A reminder to all students: wear your uniform correctly and with pride. Students have the option to purchase the new OCC tracksuit pants. They look great and are very comfortable and warm. Canterbury tracksuit pants are not t be worn.
Let’s keep the momentum going for a successful and memorable Term 2.
Mrs Kathryn Czinner
House Leader - La Salle
Merici
Welcome back to Term 2!
I hope all Merici families had a safe and restful break and are feeling recharged for the term ahead.
It was fantastic to see so many of our Merici students participating in the Dio Cross Country last Wednesday, 14th May, held at the beautiful grounds of the University of New England. The enthusiasm, energy, and OCC spirit on display were a credit to all involved. A big thank you to our students for representing O’Connor with pride and effort on the day — whether running from start to finish, cheering on their peers, or simply participating to be part of the event. It’s this kind of positive involvement that continues to strengthen our College identity.
Looking ahead, the Athletics Carnival is taking place this Friday, 16th May. This is always a highlight on the school calendar and a chance for Merici House to show just how strong our team spirit is. Whether you're a competitive athlete or someone who just wants to be involved and have a go, your participation matters. Every point counts, and it’s also a great day to connect with friends and staff outside the classroom. Let’s turn up in full force, give our best effort, and most importantly, enjoy the day. Students are to dress up in their house colours!
On another note, a quick reminder to all students and families about the importance of wearing the correct school uniform. Taking pride in our uniform reflects the respect we have for ourselves, each other, and our school community. We ask that students wear full formal uniform including black, enclosed leather shoes, and ensure that only the school jumper or soft shell jacket is worn for warmth. The OCC hoodie and Canterbury gear are not part of our formal dress code. Uniform is a simple but important part of how we present ourselves — and consistency in this helps build a strong sense of school connection.
As always, if you have any concerns, questions, or simply want to touch base, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) teacher or myself. We value the partnership between home and school and are always happy to work together to support our young people.
Looking forward to a great term ahead for Merici House.
Mr Shane McCann
House Leader - Merici
Ursula
Welcome back to Term 2!
Term 2 is always a big term filled with school events (like The Athletics Carnival and Founders Day), academic reports, extracurricular activities like sporting events and everything else that we can think of to keep us busy during these cold months.
A big thank you and congratulations to those Ursula students who turned up for our Athletics carnival and participated! More news will come from this event in our next newsletter!
End of Term 1
Ursula was well represented in the school Cross Country event at the end of Term 1 - so a huge thank you to all who came on the day and participated! Ursula is not a big house but we make up for this with our enthusiasm and attendance!
In our last Term 1 house meeting, we focused on creating legacy and considering the impact that we can have on people that is far-reaching and not always seen. As a house, we got crafty and created banners covered in our handprints, the year we started and our first name and the first letter of our last name (eg. Jess A 2018). These banners will eventually be hung up in Ursula and will be updated every year with our latest recruits to our house!
Uniform
I would also like to remind all our students, parents and carers that as we are now in Term 2, students are expected to wear their winter uniform everyday. Days where “oval” is displayed on Compass during a PDHPE lesson, students are expected to be in their sports uniform. Considering the rapid dipping in temperatures, students are encouraged to dress warmly and consider bringing umbrellas to avoid the rain that seems to be following us through into Autumn.
Moving forward
As always, I encourage all our students to engage with all the opportunities they are presented with; whether this be in the classroom, on the playground, outside of the school grounds, or any other space they inhabit. These experiences not only enrich their learning but also help them develop important life skills such as teamwork, resilience, critical thinking and creativity. By embracing new challenges and stepping outside their comfort zones, students can discover their passions and build confidence that will serve them well both now and in the future.
Let’s continue to support and celebrate their efforts as they grow into well-rounded, curious, and capable individuals in the legendary house that is Ursula!
Miss Jessica Armfield
House Leader, Ursula