Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families

What a wonderful start to Term 4! There has been such a lovely feeling around the school these last couple of weeks. Here are some photos of the children which capture the joy of friends and that deep sense of belonging to a great community. It was lovely to hear children and adults sharing stories of their holiday adventures; it appears that all families (and staff) had a much needed and well deserved holiday, in readiness for the exciting term ahead. 

Traditionally, Term 4 is a transitional period for our students, as they prepare to move up to the next year level and even on to Year 7. For many of us, it's hard to believe how quickly the time has flown, in particular, for our soon to be departing Grade 6s. It only seems like yesterday they were in Prep! We look forward to celebrating their journey at OLA this term, in addition to planning their 'Big Day Out', Graduation and final assembly. 

As we settle back into the routines of school life, we take this opportunity to remind families to closely monitor the fatigue levels of the students, particularly with the desire to stay up later as a result of daylight savings. In addition to the enriching academic program planned for Term 4, students will also undergo extensive assessments to review their academic progress and track student growth. We know that students respond best when they are well rested and settled, so we welcome your support with this. 

Art Show

What an absolutely magical experience! Our hearts are completely full after seeing the OLA Cheltenham community come together to celebrate our incredible 'Flourish' art show. It was wonderful to watch our students from Prep to Grade 6 proudly beam as they took their parents, grandparents, and families by the hand to show them around the gallery. Seeing the pure joy, pride, and wonder on everyone's faces truly showed what makes our school community so special. 

A massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this spectacular event possible. We extend our deepest gratitude to the brilliant creative minds who brought this vision to life: Mrs Hudson, Miss Siracusa, and Señora Caivano. Your dedication to our students and their artistic journey is inspiring! We also thank our amazing Arts & Culture Leaders Poppi, Matteo, Brigitte and Issy for their support and time - we loved your energy.

We congratulate all students at OLA for their amazing art pieces. I don't think we will ever forget the respectful 'gallery hands' we saw on the night and the joy in the children's faces as they toured their families around the exhibition. We thank our wonderful OLA Parents & Friends Team for organising the pies, sausage rolls and drinks along with the OLA second hand uniform shop.

Appreciation Day

So much thanks for our teachers, learning support officers, admin team and leadership! 

Thank you all for being great humans and educators. Around the world we celebrate World Teacher's Day on 5 October and at OLA we celebrated all humans in the business of educating and supporting students at our great school. 

We received amazing brownies, chocolates and strawberries made by a special mum in our community on behalf of the P&F and all at OLA. We also had Miss Lim, the baker of biscuits who made some delicious World Teacher Day biscuits. Thank you all for your gratitude.

Gratitude and Best Wishes... 

I would like to share news about a staffing change for 2027. Mrs Michela Vella (Grade 1/2 Classroom Teacher and Junior Level Leader) will be finishing up at OLA at the end of this year.  I know you will join me in celebrating Mrs Vella and showing gratitude for her amazing contribution to our community. We look forward to saying thank you and farewell to Mrs Vella at the End of Year Advent Prayer Service and Assembly at 9.00am on Tuesday 15 December.  We also are saying farewell to Mrs Ellie Levitt who is returning to live in Scotland next week.

Michela Vella

After 14 exceptional years of dedication to Our Lady of the Assumption, the time has come for us to say goodbye to a deeply valued member of our community Mrs Michela Vella. Mrs Vella will finish her time with us at OLA at the end of this school year. It is difficult to fully capture the immense impact she has had on OLA. Over nearly a decade and a half, Mrs Vella has been a pillar of our school - not only teaching countless children with unwavering passion but also stepping up to lead and support our staff while remaining grounded in what she loves the most: the classroom. We love how you have helped to make learning fun and helped children feel safe, setting amazing routines and structures whilst creating wonderful learning opportunities for the children to be curious and enjoy success. On behalf of the Leadership Team and the entire staff, I want to publicly thank you for your incredible friendship, guidance, and dedication. Thanks for being part of our OLA community.

A reflection from Michela…

After 14 years at Our Lady of the Assumption, the time has come for me to say goodbye and begin a new chapter. OLA has been such a significant part of my life, and it is difficult to put into words just how much this community has meant to me. Over the years, I have had the privilege of teaching so many beautiful children, working alongside dedicated colleagues and getting to know so many wonderful families. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have been given, particularly the opportunity to lead and support others while continuing to do what I have always loved most - teaching.

What I will treasure most are the relationships I have built along the way. To the students, past and present, thank you for the joy, laughter and purpose you have brought to each day. It has been an absolute privilege to be part of your learning journeys, to celebrate your achievements, encourage you through challenges and watch you grow. Every child I have taught has left a lasting impression on me, and I hope that, in some small way, I have made a positive difference in your lives, just as you have in mine.

To the families who have entrusted me with their children over the years, I am truly grateful for your trust, support and partnership. I have always valued the connections we have made and the conversations we have shared along the way. I am also grateful to Richard, Caitlan, Josy and the Leadership Team for their encouragement, guidance and the trust they have placed in me. To my colleagues, thank you for the friendships, laughter and support over the years. I leave with so many special memories that I will carry with me long after my final day. Thank you to everyone who has been part of my OLA journey. OLA will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Michela Vella

Ellie Levitt

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Ellie Levitt is leaving OLA to return to Scotland next week. Ellie has shown an incredible commitment to our students, their learning and their wellbeing throughout her time at OLA. She has developed wonderful relationships with the children and has brought warmth, care, enthusiasm and dedication to her teaching every day. Her presence at OLA has been greatly valued, and she leaves with our heartfelt thanks for everything she has contributed to our school. While we are very sad to see her leave, we wish her all the very best as she returns home to Scotland and begins this next chapter. 

A reflection from Ellie…

It is with a heavy heart that I’m saying goodbye to OLA as I am moving back to Scotland. I tried everything I could to finish the year with my lovely Prep and 1/2 classes, but it wasn’t meant to be. This is such a special community, and I am grateful to have been able to work across so many year levels, getting to know lots of wonderful children and families along the way. Thank you to all staff, students, and families for welcoming me so warmly and for the privilege of working with you. I’ll never forget my time here, and the children I teach in Scotland will hear all about the amazing OLA community! I’m looking forward to heading home and spending time with my family, but I will miss you all very much. 

Please be assured we have secured some outstanding teachers to replace Ellie's day in the following classrooms:  

• Melissa Bien-Izowski PJM on Mondays
• Liz Thompson PTR on Tuesdays 

• Sally Jeffree 1/2CH on Fridays.

   

Grade 6 Leadership Process 

The beginning of Term 4 is an extra exciting time for our Grade 5 students as they begin to think about and prepare for the 2027 Grade 6 Leadership Positions. The Senior teachers have begun talking with our students about the many wonderful opportunities that await them and the transition process. Please see the timeline below and keep an eye on an nForma notice for further information. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any queries. Thank you.

Working Bee

We are so grateful to the many families who have already joined us for our Working Bees so far this year and thank you to those who have rescheduled their Working Bee date if they were not able to make their rostered one.  We also have had some cash donations which has contributed towards the purchase of tools and equipment as well as the top up of mulch. 

We are looking forward to welcoming families to the Term 4 and final OLA Working Bee on Saturday 24 October, 10.00am-12.00pm. We would love you to bring wheelbarrows, blowers, shovels, rakes etc.and please make sure your tools are labelled.

We especially welcome the following families who are rostered on:

OLA Fete

Less than three weeks to go!!

Please check out our OLA Fete tab in this Newsletter or on our refreshed Fete tab on our school website and let us know if you can help in any way...

• Volunteers Needed – Grab a Mate and Sign Up! 

  We can't run the fete without volunteers on our amazing stalls. We need you to volunteer a little bit of your time on the day – it’s the easy bit, and it’s FUN!

  Every stall, every game, every sausage sizzle needs hands on deck.

  So, grab a mate, pick a time slot, and sign up a stall today. Whether you've got an hour or the whole day, your help turns this into the best day of the school year.

  👉 Sign up here: volunteersignup.org

   

• 🎟️ Rides Wristbands: Early Bird Still On – Grab your Savings!

  Lock in the fun (and go in the running for prizes) by grabbing your ride wristbands early:

• 	Junior	Senior
  Early Bird (1 Sept – 6 Nov 2026)	$38	$48
  On the day	$45	$55

  The earlier you book, the more you save and every pre-purchased wristband is an entry into our prize draw.

• Please donate to our class hampers for the staff Spinning Wheel Stall! OLA Class Hamper Themes. Thank you

Child Safe Standard 9

11 months 11 standards...

As a school we will highlight one Child Safe Standard each month. 

For October it is Child Safe Standard 9.

‘Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.’

As Catholic educators, we have a moral, mission-driven, and legal responsibility to ensure that every environment where children learn, play, and connect, both physical and online, promotes safety and wellbeing. This responsibility is lived out not only through policies and procedures, but through the way school spaces, activities, and digital platforms are designed, supervised, and used each day. 

Our commitment to child safety includes creating and maintaining safe physical spaces and responsible online environments that minimise risks and reduce opportunities for harm. This includes thoughtful supervision, clear expectations for behaviour and technology use, and proactive approaches that support children’s wellbeing, dignity, and inclusion in all settings. 

Grounded in our Catholic mission to uphold the dignity of every child as made in the image and likeness of God, Child Safe Standard 9 calls us to act with compassion, vigilance, and responsibility. When our school environments are intentionally shaped by Gospel values to be safe, supportive, and respectful, both in person and online, children are protected, feel secure, and are enabled to flourish spiritually, emotionally, and academically across every aspect of school life. 

OSAC Co-Chairs Report

The October OSAC meeting was on Monday 13 October with a priority on 2027 financial matters (as is the set agenda for every October). Maria Hogan joined the meeting with Richard to discuss key topics included in the development of the budget for 2027, including 2027 enrolments, class structure, school fees, and the timing of the new EBA for teachers. 

The OSAC members engaged in productive discussions, ensuring all points were addressed and raised questions and sort clarification on a number of topics. 

Richard, the leadership team, in consultation with MACS are committed to navigating the challenges of changing times to secure the best outcomes for the school and its students in a financially sustainable way. We thank Maria and Richard for the extensive work undertaken and consultation with MACS to ensure we navigate the best outcomes for our school for a successful 2027 and beyond. 

Lucas Ryle & Ros Sayers

OSAC Co-Chairs

Calling for a new OSAC member

I take this opportunity to thank Lucas Ryle for his service to the OLA community as an active member of Our Lady of the Assumption Primary School Advisory Council (OSAC) over the last 3 years. The experience and expertise that you have provided OLA is very much appreciated. We especially appreciate you being at the end of the phone for advice and support and thank you also for being Co-Chair of OSAC this year. We know you will continue to be a great advocate for our wonderful school and that you will find new and exciting ways to remain connected.

The School Advisory Council acts as a supportive voice to the Principal, offering feedback on areas such as school improvement, financial governance, community engagement, communication, and the wellbeing and learning of our students.

How to Nominate: 

Please send an email to Richard Jacques principal@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au stating your wish to nominate for a seat on the Advisory Council. Include a brief outline of your background and areas of interest.  As one vacancy has become available on OSAC, we are calling for nominations to fill this position. The OSAC Membership Nomination Request form will be shared in Term 4 which will contain detailed information regarding the role. Also please note the application closing date of Friday 30 October. We look forward to securing a new member for our team whose skills compliment those of the members already on the School Advisory Council.

Calling for new OLA Parents & Friends members

We thank our 2026 P&F Committee for their support of our great school and we especially thank our Co Chairs John Bardon and Pascale Arlove together with Raf Gouel and Susan Cotterill for creating such a welcoming and positive team. This year has seen a large focus on providing opportunities for the children and parents to have fun, enjoy being part of our great community and to fundraise. Please know that your active support is very much appreciated. We have also loved the social events organised in the different year levels and the support the P&F representatives give their level when there is a need for support for a family, a child or a staff member. These P&F Year Level Reps will be looking for new reps to join them or replace them in 2027. Current P&F Reps please let our Co Chairs know if you are keen to continue or if you have secured a replacement.

If you would like to be part of helping our school next year and adding to our wonderful sense of community, please consider joining the 2027 P&F Team. It is a great way to contribute to the development of the school and meet other parents.

We are looking for two parent representatives from each year level, who are responsible for updating the parents in their year level with important information/reminders, and organising a couple of events throughout the year. For example, the Grade 1 P&F representatives host the Morning Tea for new and current families on the first day of school. Feel free to chat to this year's P&F members if you would like some more information or, better still, if you would like to get involved. You can also speak with me in person or email any questions or ideas to principal@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

Class Placements 2027

The staff work together on class lists for the following year from the start of Semester 2. The process will be completed with consideration given to social cohesion, friendship groupings, placement of siblings and positive academic influences. Other factors to be considered include keeping a ‘balance’ of children with social, emotional, physical, behavioural and academic needs, and an even spread of year level numbers and genders in multi-age classes. This is an opportunity for students to either further develop existing friendships or an opportunity to develop new friendships. We see the ability to create new friendships each year as a valuable opportunity to further develop personal life skills for all children.

Parent Input - Meeting with the Principal

If parents have any relevant information that they believe is essential to the class placement process, they are invited to make a time to meet with the Principal to share their thoughts. Parents are requested to make an appointment in the month of October each year. Appointment times can be negotiated with the school office by calling 9584 9488 or email office@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au We will evaluate all input and make a professional judgement on the placement of the child in question. The final decision rests with the school. Please keep in mind the many limitations that are already placed on the staff during this complex process. Appointments relating to class placements must be made by the end of October each year so that staff can have relevant information to assist them with the placement of children. 

'Teacher Shopping'

Parents making requests simply as ‘Teacher Shopping’, without any foundation, are unlikely to receive their requests for the next year. The reference ‘teacher shopping’ is a term used when parents have heard positive comments about teachers in the school from other parents and think that teacher may be good for their child. Likewise, a sibling may have had a teacher previously that a parent wishes for their next child to experience. We would love to meet all requests but there are other elements around class placements, as detailed previously, which may take priority over a request as such. We are blessed with a highly skilled and enthusiastic staff team and we are confident that all teachers will meet the needs of your children. If all parents submitted requests for teachers then our system of student allocation would be compromised. As stated above, parents are invited to meet with the Principal to discuss thoughts that may be pertinent to class placements but we ask that you take on board all of the above information when making your request.

Summer Uniform

As of Monday 19 October all students must be in full summer uniform.  We also remind parents that we also have a ‘No Hat – No Play’ SunSmart Policy. Children without hats at school will be restricted to the undercover ‘quiet’ area. A reminder that girls and boys wear navy socks with their summer uniform and there must be no logos on white sports socks. Black leather shoes must be worn with the summer uniform. There are strictly no variations to the school uniform, for example, non-school hat or jumper, alternative sock colours, non uniform long sleeve tops under short sleeve school shirts.  School hats and sunscreen must be worn from day one and "no hat, no play" will apply.  Sunscreen must be applied before school and students are encouraged to re-apply before lunch every day with their own sunscreen from their bag. We are all looking forward to more of this sunshine and warmer days!

Prep 2028 Sibling Applications

Believe it or not, we are already planning for Prep 2028! We have received strong interest from new families wishing to join the OLA community, and we are beginning to look ahead to future enrolments. If you have a younger child who is eligible to commence Prep in 2028, we kindly ask that you submit a sibling application as soon as possible (please log onto our website to complete). This will assist us in understanding the number of sibling places required and help us determine how many new families we may be able to welcome into our wonderful school community. We have 18 applications already so please ensure your application is submitted too.

Prep 2027 Transition Dates & Times

We are excitedly preparing to welcome our 2027 Prep families and students for the Prep Orientation program. The orientation program is an exciting and enriching experience, as the children transition from a small Kindergarten setting to a larger, more vibrant school setting. 

For our new (and not so new) Prep parents, we look forward to welcoming you on Thursday 5 November at 7.30pm. This information evening is a wonderful opportunity to meet new families, teachers and key staff who will work with your children next year. Our orientation sessions are as follows: 

School Fees

Term 4 school fee statements were sent out this week. We kindly request that all families with outstanding account balances settle their payments at their earliest convenience. In the event that you did not receive your fee statement as anticipated, please reach out to Maria (mhogan@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au). Please note Term 4 is the term a school relies on its cash reserves that are paid by our families and that is why our fees are due at the end of Term 3. We appreciate all families who have been at the table or in conversation and have established a payment plan with the school. For anyone who is on a payment plan we understand that payments do continue in this last term of the school year.

Planning for 2027

We kindly ask that families notify the school as soon as possible if their child/children will not be returning to OLA next year. We have received a significant number of enrolment enquiries and currently have waiting lists operating across all year levels. Having an accurate understanding of our student numbers allows us to plan effectively for staffing, class structures and funding allocations for 2027. 

Calendar

Please open the ‘Key Dates and Events’ tab in this newsletter for important dates or access the OLA Calendar here. 

School Term Dates - 2026

Term 4, 2026

Tuesday 6 October - Tuesday 15 Dec (11 weeks)

Pupil Free Days for 2026

• Monday 2 November Assessment & Reporting
• Friday 4 December 2027 Planning and Preparation 

Please note on the following dates school finish early at 1pm:

OLA Fete on Friday 6 November

Last day of school Tuesday 15 December

Congratulations

Division Athletics Success!

Congratulations to our 16 talented students who represented OLA at Division Athletics last week! We are incredibly proud of Cleo K, Elle F, Brigitte, Maddie F, Sophie M, Zoe K, Alana V, Deanna D, Christian R, Jamie R, Harry C, Michael M, Flynn W, Bailey G, George B and Ella Pa for their fantastic efforts, determination and sportsmanship throughout the day. A special congratulations to Zoe K and Ella Pa, who have qualified to compete at Regional Athletics next Wednesday! This is a wonderful achievement, and we wish them both the very best as they take on the next level of competition. Well done to all our athletes for representing OLA with pride. We are so proud of you all!

Spelling Superstars

Today our Literacy Leader Miss Turner and I were excited to have this group of spelling superstars visit and share their learning from over the last 10 weeks. They shared, "Firstly, we started by learning about different Greek and Latin roots. For example, chron, struct and tele. Next we picked our favourite Greek and Latin roots to research to create an information report which we are excited to share with you today. We have been busy researching, drafting, writing, editing and publishing. After we finished our writing we were able to find some pictures and diagrams that matched our roots and labelled what they are. We have worked really hard on these final pieces. We hope you enjoy hearing about our roots and learn a thing or two!

Lorraine Francis Award

School captain Noah Wood is this year’s Lorraine Francis Community Award recipient from OLA. Noah was described by his teachers as a wonderful ambassador for the school who embraces all aspects of school life. Noah represents OLA proudly at interschool sport and demonstrates impeccable sportsmanship. Noah is a strong role model who is looked up to by his peers and always sets a great example. It was lovely to have our member of parliament Nick Staikos here at OLA to present the award. Congratulations Noah.

Lions Fans

So much excitement and so much heartbreak. But what we do know is that Mrs O’Meara is still loving life and had wonderful seats at the Grand Final. 

Poppy Appeal

Cheltenham Moorabbin RSL have invited us again this year to raise awareness of the Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal. These items will be on sale until the 11 November and can be purchased from the front office or children who are selling them before/after school. Items range from $2-$10.

Congratulations to our wonderful school community on a wonderful first couple of weeks back at school. A reminder to families that there will be no school on Monday, 2 November. Together with the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday on Tuesday, 3 November, this will give our students a four day long weekend. 

Richard Jacques

Principal