Term 4 Week 8

Hi all Parents and Carers,

I start this week's newsletter with a heavy heart and a message to spend time with and hug your kids whenever you can. Past and current staff members and past students from the OLHC family said a very sad farewell to one of our past students yesterday. Nathan Barry was the sort of student who you loved to have representing the school. He was a natural leader, a gifted sportsperson and had become a great young man. His parents Geoff and Jen, sister Hayley and extended family held a wonderful celebration of Nathan’s life in our church where he had been baptised. His great mate and past school captain Daniel Reid did an amazing job standing up and talking about Nathan and his life, as did his father Geoff and aunties Carol and Sally. Listening to excerpts from his mum's annual letters to Nathan painted a picture of the loving outgoing young boy who developed into a much loved young man with the world at his feet. There were so many references to his time at OLHC and his passion for sport at school and in the local community. To see so many distressed young adults mourning the loss of a friend in the week after the Pat Cronin Walk which honours the loss of another much loved young member of the OLHC family, it is hard to find the right words.

Prep 2024 2nd Transition Session

We had our new Preps in for their third 3rd session on Wednesday 22nd where they had the opportunity to do some activities with this year's Preps and their future Year 6 Buddies. They will return later in the term for a Christmas Party.

Staffing News

This week, I have some staffing news to share. It is with some sadness that we farewell a few staff, but we wish them well on their continuing educational careers.

Firstly Lindy Chaplin-Holmes is transitioning towards retirement and will no longer be working in a set classroom. She will be working in a casual capacity (CRT) filling in for classes when we have teachers absent for illness, professional development and meetings. I wish to personally thank her on the school community’s behalf, for her 19 years of dedicated and passionate service. Being a fairly new deputy all those years ago, who was part of her interview panel, I felt a sense of pride in helping to bring her into the OLHC community. Her presence as a dedicated classroom teacher will be missed, but she will be with us regularly.

We also wish Dina Rubini good luck as she moves onto St. Pauls in Coburg, where she has a position as Leader of Learning and Teaching and Leader of Literacy. She has only been with us for a year, but she has guided the change in our Literacy direction for the future and helped us embrace the shift towards the Science of Learning.

The third person I would like to thank on your behalf is Barbara Cumming, as she has accepted a job at St. Thomas the Apostle Blackburn for next year. She is another highly valued staff member who has contributed in so many ways to the OLHC community over the last seven years, most recently as our Prep teacher for the past two years. She is sad to be leaving our wonderful community but is excited and looking forward to embarking on a new phase in her teaching journey.

I hope to be able to share some news with you all shortly about her replacement. We have put Mr Vail to work already with him joining with members of the leadership team to conduct interviews with prospective replacements.

School Advisory Council

We held the School Advisory Council (SAC) AGM on Tuesday 21st November at 8:00 pm.

I would like to share my final thanks to the members of the 2023 board.

I thank all School Advisory Council members for their wonderful support for the school again this year, as well as for the support that I have personally received. I am grateful that the Board has a clear positive intent in working closely with School Leaders in seeking genuine school improvement. I am quite happy to reiterate that our Board embodies our school goal of “We help each other to be successful”.

My heartfelt thanks to Kate, Mark and Mary who have been of great support in their executive positions, and to Kristy, Catherine and Sharon for their support and dedication to the school community. You all bring a diversity of knowledge and experience that is greatly appreciated and truly helpful, as we all strive to do the best for the students in our care.

I have great confidence that our 2024 School Advisory Council and each of its members will be of great support to our new Principal Mr Rudy Vail, as we work at continuing to improve our school in the best interests of all children and families.

I can happily announce that all the members of the SAC have agreed to continue on in 2024, with Mark Lafferty taking on the role of Chair and Kate Lewis as Deputy Chair. All our other members will continue in their same capacity. I take this opportunity to call out again for other parents who may be interested in joining in 2024.

This week we welcomed our new principal, Mr Rudy Vail to the school. He has been here a number of times to begin positively planning for 2024. It is also a wonderful opportunity for Rudy to get to know the school. It was great yesterday to take him around and introduce him to all the students in their classrooms. He even managed to meet a few parents at dismissal time. Rudy will be in the yard on Monday around drop off time and at assembly, so please come in and say hello. He will also be personally ringing families over the next couple of weeks for an informal chat.

Regards,

Mark Pinkerton

Acting Principal

We remember the Stead family in our prayers, (Charlotte 1/2CH and Harry 3/4C) on the passing of Craig's dad.

Book Club orders due December 1st

MURAL WALL

Repairs are being carried out on our Mural Wall. Can you please send along green and blue lids. Thank you.

Canteen window for (Friday) recess sales.

Available for sale will be snack packets of Red Rock chips, Grain Wave whole grain chips, Pringles, Raspberry Twisters, Snakes, Smarties (Small 16g pkts), Yoghurt Frogs and Juicies.

These items can be purchased through CDFPAY (and will be ready to pick up at recess) or can be bought directly from the window.

If you are interested in helping our PFOL as a recess helper, please let us know.

Friday Recess Orders

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/OurLadyHelpElth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourladyhelpofchristians/

Please refer to our School google calendar for events throughout the year.

Links

Absentee Notice, please email school@olhceltham.catholic.edu.au
COVID Safe Plan
Enrolment Form Link
Please click here for link to Asthma plan and/or Anaphylaxis plan and allergy form.
CDFpay link
Lunch Orders My Mum and I
Bicycle Paths
Parish Bulletin/Parish Website

OSHClub contact - 0432 212 815 ourladyhelpofchristians@oshclub.com.au

Secondary School News

2023 edition of the Secondary Education Guide is available via this link.