Wawa, Wominjika.

Here at Old Orchard Primary School, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we visit each day, the Wurrunguri and Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation. We acknowledge and respect the elders and leaders past and present and the elders and leaders of all of the cultures and nationalities that are part of the Old Orchard Primary School community. We express our gratitude towards the orchards that were kept in place by the peoples on this land before us. We thank the traditional owners for sharing this beautiful land that we all love, and for keeping the land, sky, waterways and animals all in great condition for thousands of years, not only for themselves but for all the generations to come.

WRAPPING UP TERM 2!

Wow, it's hard to believe we're already at the end of Term 2! While most of the term is usually spent indoors due to the cold and blustery weather, we've been fortunate to enjoy more sunny days than usual. This has meant extra time outside for play and fewer wet day timetables - and we know everyone’s happy about that!

We’ve certainly missed Duncan and look forward to welcoming him back in Term 3. With Carlton slipping out of the top 8 and a few questionable games along the way, perhaps it wasn’t the worst time for him to have off!

A big thank you to our staff for delivering another term of engaging and meaningful learning experiences. We are so proud of the energy and effort shown by our staff. From camps to excursions and incursions, it’s been a term packed with opportunity for all our students.

Term 2 has been a big one, spanning 11 weeks and the final stretch has certainly brought the winter chill. A big thank you to our parent/carer community for prioritising your child’s education and ensuring they arrive at school each day, ready to learn. We know that some mornings can be tough, but your consistency and support make a real difference to their learning and routine.

We say goodbye to Michelle Chen this term as she takes on an exciting new role at Mount Scopus, working across campuses to support high-ability students. Michelle has been at Old Orchard for over 7 years and her friendly nature and energy has been a true asset to our community. We wish Michelle all the very best in this next chapter of her career. Stepping into 4MR for the remainder of the year is Anna Clarke, one of our much-loved casual relief teachers. Anna knows our school and students well, and we’re thrilled to welcome her into this role. She will be a fantastic addition to our team.

Looking ahead to Term 3, there’s so much to be excited about, from our highly anticipated production of Shrek the Musical to the always creative and colourful Book Week (time to dust off those costumes and warm up the glue guns!). And let’s not forget that our brand-new Year 3/4 playground will also be installed next term. We can’t wait to see it come to life.

NAIDOC WEEK

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for students to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. This year will mark the 50th Year of NAIDOC. The theme celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.

Our whole-school celebration on Thursday included:

A whole-school reading session supported by Jennifer and Ruth, who shared NAIDOC literacy resources to each classroom
Buddy lunch and shared activity time
A collaborative whole-school Goanna artwork
A whole-school sing-along to Solid Rock

As well as our NAIDOC Celebrations, we will commemorate Reconciliation with a whole-school performance of Solid Rock by Shane Howard/Goanna during Friday’s whole school assembly. A big thank you to both Rhiannon and Mandy for organising such a wonderful celebration at Old Orchard.

TEAM KIDS HOLIDAY PROGRAM

We also wish to remind families that Team Kids will be running their holiday program throughout the break.

If you require care, please contact Team Kids directly to make a booking.

SCHOOL SAFETY

If you happen to be on or around school grounds during the holiday period, please remain vigilant. Any suspicious activity should be reported directly to Forest Hill Police Station on (03) 8847 3600 or Box Hill Police Station on (03) 8892 3200. We thank you for helping to keep our school safe over the break.

SEMESTER ONE REPORTS

Reports are now available to view on Sentral. Thank you to our teachers for the many hours of work they’ve put into each report. While parent-teacher interviews are scheduled for later in Term 3, if you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to book a time to meet with your child’s classroom teacher early next term.

SHREK THE MUSICAL

Our Year 3-6 students have been busy rehearsing for their performance and look forward to you seeing all of their hard work on the big stage.

The production will be presented over two nights - Tuesday 19th August and Wednesday 20th August at Karralyka Centre, Mines Road Ringwood East.

Students in Kimba and Korra houses will perform on Night 1 (19th Aug)

Students in Wulun and Yindi houses will perform on Night 2 (20th Aug)

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the following link. https://AUKarralyka.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/151195

TERM 3- MONDAY 21 JULY– FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

We are looking forward to welcoming our students back on Monday 21st July.

Key Dates – Week 1, Term 3:

Monday 21st July – Students return.

Wednesday 23rd July – Year 3/4 playground installation begins.

Friday 25th July – Year 6 Graduation Photo and SRC Photos.

EARLY DISMISSAL

Tomorrow, Friday, July 4th, students will be dismissed at 2.30pm. Please make sure your pick up arrangements are adjusted for this earlier finish.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

We wish all of our families a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable midyear break. May it be a chance to recharge, connect with loved ones, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.

Jen McCann and Clare Murray

Visual Art