Dear Parents & Parishioners,

We commenced Children’s Book Week with a special assembly on Monday, kicking off an incredible week of celebrating children’s literature. It was wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm as our students arrived at school dressed as their favourite book characters. The creativity and effort that went into the costumes were fantastic!

Many parents also joined us in the hall to share in the excitement and watch each class proudly parade in their costumes. It was a wonderful way to begin a week dedicated to celebrating the joy, imagination and wonder that books bring to our lives.

Thank you to our Library Team who prepared and ran the assembly.

On Tuesday morning, our Year 6 students and their parents gathered in the Library for a special breakfast to celebrate the launch of the picture books on which the students have been working so diligently for many months.

It was a wonderful occasion to celebrate their creativity, imagination and perseverance, and to share the finished books with their families. A special vote of thanks goes to Mrs Campbell and our Year 6 teachers for the guidance, encouragement and support they have provided to the students throughout this journey.

Over the coming week, our Year 6 students will continue to share their wonderful creations. They will visit classrooms across the school and local kindergartens, where they will proudly read their books to some very captive and enthusiastic audiences. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our younger students to enjoy the stories while our Year 6 students develop confidence and pride in their achievements.

Throughout the week, a range of special Book Week activities have been held in our Library, providing students with wonderful opportunities to celebrate their love of reading.

MACSEYE's Spring Festival School Holiday Program

MACSEYE’s Spring Festival School Holiday Program is running from 21 September to 2 October.

Families from OHR can book the holiday program at St Luke the Evangelist Blackburn South. Details can be found on the MACSEYE page further in today's newsletter.

In Deepest Sympathy

The staff would like to pass on their heartfelt sympathy to Paula and Tim D. Paula's father, John, passed away yesterday following a steady decline in his health. John was Nonno to Ruby (1/2GK) and Ollie (5/6CM).

May the Lord welcome you into His loving embrace.

May He grant you eternal rest and peace,

and may His light shine upon you always.

OHR Art Show - Only 2 Weeks to Go!

The OHR Art Show returns in just three weeks! This is a great evening showcasing the talents of all OHR artists. The students are so proud of what they have produced. We invite all families to attend this special evening, as this is truly a family affair.

Date: Thursday 10 September

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: OHR Hall

Make sure that you head to the 2026 OHR Art Show page where Mrs Hansen has included lots of details on how you can be involved. Also, there are details on pre-pruchasing raffle tickets for the Art Show Hampers.

Pyjama Day is Next Friday!

For all the details, please go to the Student Wellbeing page.

Prep 2028

We are already receiving Prep enrolments for the 2028 school year, which is incredibly early. Consequently, we would like to ensure that we account for all of our current families who have a child commencing school in 2028. Could I kindly ask that you notify Heather as soon as possible if you are in this position?

Dads' & Kids' Night - Tomorrow!

The PFA have organised a special Dads' & Kids' Night in the lead-up to Fathers' Day. This event is scheduled for tomorrow Friday 28 August: 5.00 - 6.45pm. Kaboom Sports have been engaged to run the night. This is always a popular and well-attended evening in the lead-up to Fathers' Day.

Details can be found on the PFA News page further in this newsletter.

Note: The annual Fathers' Day Stall will be held next Friday, 4 September. Details are on the PFA News page.

Learning Snapshots

Join us for our next Learning Snapshot, Tuesday 1 September 8:45am in the LRC (Library), exploring how families can support mathematical thinking at home.

Reminder:Train2Gain OHR

Want to build up your strength with other parents in a friendly environment? Why not consider coming along to a Train2Gain OHR class? Details can be found in the PFA News.

MACSSIS

Every year, we take the time to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our school is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as an effective school community and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.

A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys. Please take the time to read the attached letter.

Save the Date: OHR School Fete

Remember to save the date of Saturday 24 October in your calendar. This is the date of the OHR School Fete, branded as the OHR Spring Carnival School Fete.

Our organsing committe has been meeting regularly to plan for this exciting event.

Details can be found on the PFA News page.

Child Safety - Driver Behaviour & Etiquette (Repeated)

We would like to remind everyone of the importance of driver behaviour and etiquette, and parking safety in the streets surrounding our school, particularly in relation to Barton and York Streets. The safety of our students, families, and neighbours is our top priority. Thank you to those families who have always exercised careful and considerate driver behaviour towards others, and those who are responding to the call for greater caution and thoughtful behaviour.

I reiterate the importance of following the points below, as our streets will never be safe for our students, pedestrians and neighbours until we have 100% take up of this initiative.

Driver Safety:

Slow down and be alert when driving near the school. Children may dart out unexpectedly, so it's critical to drive at or below the posted speed limit of 40 kph. We encourage you to drive the length of both streets at 40kph
Get into the habit of driving south down Barton Street, i.e. from Whitehorse Rd to Mont Albert Rd
Please do not travel north along Barton Street and attempt a U-turn into the school carpark as this is unsafe, illegal and creates traffic gridlock
Similarly when exiting the Barton Street carpark, turn left towards Mont Albert Road, thereby avoiding another U-turn. We have encouraged this safe practice for many years
Be extra cautious during morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-up times when there is more traffic and activity around the school
Walk with your children as they cross the street; please don't call them to run across the street to you.

Parking Safety:

Use designated drop-off and pick up zones only. Do not double park nor stop in the middle of the road to let students out.
Strictly observe the posted parking limits outside the school during drop off and pick up times: 10 mins in Barton Street and 2 mins in York Street. 10 minutes means no longer than 10 minutes. And definitely do not park in the no standing zones.
Park only in authorised spaces. Do not block neighbour's driveways, nor park in non-parking zones.
Avoid U-turns as these streets are narrow and particularly busy at these times.
Consider parking further away and walking with your child if the area surrounding the school is crowded. This can be a safer option. For example, it can often be congested for the 20 minute period around afternoon pick up, so consider parking north of the school along Barton Street, where there are usually plenty of spaces, and walking down to pick up your children. A little exercise won't hurt. We know that many families have already adopted this practice when parking in both Barton and York Streets.

By working together, we can ensure that our school community is safe and accessible for everyone. This is a residential area and, as such, it is fundamentally important that we also respect our school's neighbours.

Please share these reminders with any family members or caregivers who may be responsible for driving to and from school.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Wishing everyone a great weekend,

Frank Dame

School Community