Dear Parents & Parishioners,

Years 5&6 Canberra Camp

The weather Gods served up a mixed bag of fruit in Canberra last week as the Year 5 & 6 students spent four full days in the nation's capital. While it rained heavily on Monday and Tuesday, we remained undeterred. Fortunately, the majority of actvities were indoors. We were blessed that the sun came out to play on Wednesday and Thursday.

Throughout the week the students were immersed in a range of learning experiences that complimented their current studies of democracy, the levels of government in Australia and our electoral system.

Our coach driver, Stu, was a charismatic man who clearly loved Canberra. He gladly shared his knowledge and stories of the city with the students.

It was hard to determine the favourite acitivity in the eyes of the students, but many agreed that Questacon and the AIS rated very highly. For some the experience of visiting Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial sat high on the agenda. For others it was the time spent at Mount Stromlo Obervatory or the Royal Botanic Gardens that peaked their interest. Many of us took great pleasure in simply cycling the 8km course around the shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin where we basked in the glorious morning sunshine. On our final day we visited Government House where the Governor General, Sam Mostyn, was extremely generous with her time and gladly answered the many questions asked of her by the students. She happily posed for some groups photos. It was a busy day for her as she was also hosting the Canadian Prime Minister that afternoon, prior to heading to Sydney for the Swans V Blues season opener.

"Find the people you disagree with. Find out why you disagree with them and talk about it. There is no need to argue."

Sam Mostyn

Overall, every student was provided with a week away that they will remember for a long time to come.

The accommodation was clean and modern, with the catering offering a variety of choices at both breakfast and dinner. A barista serving coffee to the staff each morning was a great way to keep the team caffeinated!

The parents of the students were kept up to date with a plethora of photos shared through Seesaw, with thanks to Mr Byrne. Thanks also to Mrs Mitchell, Mr Gullivan and Ms Mackay for taking such good care of the students every day. They looked after the students as they would their own children.

Our students acted as exemplary ambassadors of OHR wherever we went. What made us most proud, however, was the way in which they looked out for one another throughout the duration of the camp experience.

NAPLAN Online

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. The NAPLAN test window commenced yesterday, Wednesday 11 March, and concludes on Monday 23 March. Despite yesterday's nationwide glitch on the NAPLAN platform, at OHR we have scheduled the tests to be administered as soon as possible within the testing window.

Years 3&4 Parent Gathering

Thank you to Katherine and Esmond Prowse for offering to open up their new home to host the gathering for parents of students in Years 3 & 4. We are all looking forward to, what should be, a great night.

Online Safety: Parental Controls

Parental controls are digital tools, settings, and software built into devices, apps, and networks that allow parents to manage their children's online safety. They enable blocking inappropriate content, setting screen time limits, managing app usage, and tracking location to ensure age-appropriate, secure digital experiences.

But it's important to understand their limitations and use them in combination with other protective strategies.

The following tips and advice from the eSafetyCommissioner can help in keeping your child safe online:

Student Use of Mobile Devices at School

It is important to remember that students are not permitted to use mobile devices, including smartphones and watches to communicate with parents, and vice versa, during school hours.

“…parents who need to contact their child during school hours should do so by placing a call to school Administration. Mobile phones and other personal devices are to be left at school Administration for safe keeping during school hours.

Parents are reminded that in cases of emergency, the school’s Administration remains a vital and appropriate point of contact and can ensure your child is reached quickly, and assisted in the appropriate way.”

Our Holy Redeemer Cybersafety Policy

Thank you to the parents and students for supporting us in this regard. Every day a growing number of students are in the practice of leaving their mobile devices at the school office for safe storage until dismissal.

Raising Kids in a Digital World

Please head to the Digital Technology and Online Safety page for details of how you can register for the live parent webinar, 'Raising Kids in a Digital World'.

Open Mornings

This Wednesday 18 March, we will host the first of two scheduled Open Mornings for prospective parents considering enrolling their children in 2027 and beyond. The school will be open to visitors, between 9:00am and 10:30am. A great morning is planned. We will commence with a gathering in the hall where the students will treat our visitors to a number of exhibitions and performances. The Year 6 students will then take on the responsibility of showing our guests around the school.. Afterwards our visitors will be invited to the foyer of the hall for a cuppa.

If you are available between 10.00 - 10.30am to talk to the visiting families over a cuppa, please don't hesitate to send me an email.

If you know of anyone considering a school for their child, please encourage them to come along to our special Open Morning and to also arrange a personal school tour.

As you can appreciate, we are working towards finalising our 2027 Prep enrolments by the middle of May.

It would be gratefully appreciated that all existing school families who have a child commencing school in 2027 complete an enrolment form and submit it to Heather.

Sound of Music

Arabella B (5/6CM) has been cast in NOVA Music Theatre’s upcoming production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, opening very soon at The Round Theatre, Nunawading.

She has been rehearsing since October last year - and the show opens in 10 days time!

We are very proud of Arabella and wish her well.

For booking details, please head to the School Community page.

2026 Working Bees

There are three Working Bees scheduled throughout this year and it is hoped that each family will be able to attend at least one of these events. The Working Bees will be coordinated by Laura Hilet to address the upkeep of the school grounds and minor maintenance matters. Working Bees are a cost effective and essential means to maintaining aesthetic school grounds that afford a safe and welcoming environment for our children, parents and visitors.

Working Bees provide the opportunity to connect with other families, and the children always have a great time helping out and playing with one another in the school grounds. A range of dates and times are available to enable each family the opportunity to select the most suitable Working Bee.

The dates for this year’s Working Bees are: Sunday 22 March, Sunday 17 May and Sunday 18 October. A complete list of dates can be found on the school calendar.

You can email your preferred day to our Working Bee Coordinator, Laura: lauradinicol@gmail.com

We request that you look ahead at your commitments for 2026, and nominate for at least one Working Bee now. It’s a great way to show your children that you value their school through committing to a few hours per year. Certain families have been extremely generous with their time over recent years in turning up to multiple Working Bees within the one year.

The first Working Bee is a morning session (8.30am – 10.30am) scheduled for Sunday 22 March. A barbeque and refreshments will be provided during this time. For catering and task planning purposes, please email Laura with the number of family members who will attend.

School Photos

School Photos will be taken by Advanced Life on Monday 23 March. Details can be found on the School Photo Orders page.

Wishing everyone a great weekend,

Frank