Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families

Feast of the Assumption Celebrations! 

Last Friday, our school community came together for a truly spectacular day of faith, fun, and friendship. This special feast reminds us of Mary’s great love for God and her place in Heaven with Him. It was wonderful to see our students, teachers and several parents join in prayer and song to mark this important day in our Church calendar. To celebrate our Feast Day, our students participated in an action packed day including our Feast of the Assumption Prayer Service, Mary activities, the Rosary and we had lots of fun with Kaboom Sports! 

The energy outside was electric, but the absolute highlight was witnessing the incredible cross age connectedness across all year levels. Seeing our senior students guide, encourage, and cheer on their junior peers captured the true, amazing spirit of our OLA community.

From high energy team games to shared laughter, it was a day filled with joy, inclusivity, and wonderful memories. Thank you to Kaboom for bringing the fun, and to our staff and students for making it such a memorable celebration! 

What a wonderful day it was at OLA. It was lovely to hear our students saying that it was "the best day ever!!" Mary inspires us in many ways especially to be our best self. Today was a day celebrating peace, love, hope, kindness, compassion and all those amazing traits of Mary. Thanks all for a wonderful feast day. 

Outstanding Performance

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION -  HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARD   

"The Boomerang of Kindness "

We are so proud of our OLA Wakakirri performance last week at the Frankston Arts Centre. It was truly amazing. Thank you to our students for having their stage faces and stage hands in full swing and for smiling from ear to ear with joy. Thank you to Miss Jones, Miss Summers and Miss Lim for sharing your passion for the stage, dance and music with our students. Thank you also to Miss Siracusa for all your work on the props and to Miss Riley for your presence and support of this great event. Thank you as always to our wonderful families for your presence and support and for assisting with props and costumes. A particular thank you to Georgia for your huge commitment to the children's makeup and hairstyles and thank you to all who were able to assist with bringing home the props.

Ambassador comment

"Riveting, Powerful, and emotional message of love, compassion, and kindness." 

Joti Van Carlos Gore, Wakakirri Ambassador

Show Awards

• Storytelling Award for Strong use of the Festival Motif

• Storytelling Award for Story Construction and Clarity

• Ensemble Award for Overall Performance

• Ensemble Award for Dancing and Acting

• Production award for Sets, Props and Costumes

Ambassador feedback

"Every action has a reaction and How magnificent when the action is love, compassion, and kindness. A powerful & necessary message of love , compassion, and kindness and its' long-lasting impact on the world and everything in it. Well Rehearsed. Special acknowledgement to the teacher for ensuring every single student knows when, why, and where they are going. So well Constructed and the music, projection, set, and story so clear, concise and deliberate. Great High energy in the start and strong storytelling throughout the whole piece. Tip: Standing in a line look for the persons shoulders when you are meant to stand in a straight line. To create even more dynamic movement deepen the pile and stand even more tall to make that movement sharp and crisp. Stage Right move in one step to clear the curtain (Hero). Lonely People extend your arms all the way reallllllly reach to the side to make it more dynamic. Stop right now (Have a look at the group stage right and move them in to match stage left approximately 2 steps to the left for the whole group) Grocery Store great correction with the aisle. The lines were clean the second time through. The transitions in this whole piece is very clear and evident that it is well rehearse. Congrats! powerful, dynamic, creative work. We definitely feel the love." - Joti Van Carlos Gore, Wakakirri Ambassador

Joti also gave this feedback on the night:

"This was absolutely phenomenal. 

A galvanising performance. It was a galvanising performance because all the parts worked together, so when you have the music, the projection, the props, the costume, the performance. All those key parts are there and the overall performance was really wonderful. That's what this show was - it was galvanising. It was powerful. It was dynamic. Each little bit the story was so precise. We got the story - the beginning, the middle and the end and that's something that we look for with a strong festival motif. That was amazing."

It is always lovely to see and hear staff who work so hard, being given such warm and heartfelt gratitude: 

Dear Eliza, Emma and Natasha,

I cannot emphasise enough how grateful we are for everything you have done. We know this is something you take on above and beyond your usual roles, and the time, energy and care you invest in creating this opportunity for the kids is truly appreciated.

 

Speaking for my child, they thoroughly enjoyed every part of the experience, from rehearsals through to tonight's performance. Judging by the smiles on stage, I suspect she was not alone. The confidence, teamwork and joy that the kids gained from being involved is a credit to each of you.

 

What resonated most was the theme of the performance itself. The Kindness Boomerang was such a powerful message, and in many ways you have each lived that message through your own generosity, encouragement and commitment to the students. Thank you again for everything you do. We are incredibly grateful. 

Georgia (Avacyn's Mum) gave up a full day and evening to help with makeup and hairstyles and it was lovely to hear from her perspective the amazing impact that involvement in opportunities like Wakakirri has for all involved: 

As a former dance mum, it’s not uncommon to find myself amidst the backstage mayhem and preparation that goes into performance day.

I’ve heard all about the seemingly endless rehearsals, the countless lunchtimes given up, and listening to the same songs over and over again until they’re almost unbearable to hear again. But there is nothing quite like the energy and camaraderie that exists backstage at events like this.

The kids forget their frustration, the sacrifices, and the missed playtimes. Instead, they embrace the excitement, the atmosphere, and the thrill of stepping onto the stage to be part of something bigger than themselves.

The lasting impression I’ll take away from spending 12 hours with this incredible group is the unwavering support they showed throughout the entire day and night. They cheered not only for their own friends, but for every member of the group. Their encouragement didn't stop there - it extended to every other school they encountered.

No one walked past an OLA student without receiving a word of encouragement, congratulations, or a heartfelt "chookas". It was genuinely inspiring to witness such kindness, respect and sportsmanship on display. Every hour of rehearsal, every lunchtime sacrificed, and every moment of hard work from both the students and teachers was reflected not only in their outstanding performance, but in the way they represented themselves off the stage. 

Tonight, these students reminded everyone of their message that is simple, yet incredibly powerful: Kindness shown is kindness received.

Mural Project

We are thrilled to be partnering with local mural artist, Kyle Wakeham, on a fully funded student led mural project. This grant has been made possible through the Suburban Rail Loop Community Projects Fund. The children were asked what they love about where they live and where they go to school. Some children in Grade 3-6 created mindmaps and drew pictures depicting their thoughts. Stay tuned! Some of these ideas will be hitting one of our walls around our playground soon.

Hats and sunscreen

On those sunny winter days and all throughout the year at OLA we have students who very much enjoy applying the sunscreen kept in their bags/tubs every day. Children are always welcome to keep their hats at school and wear them on these days too.

Enterprise Agreement Update

We are conscious that there have been several media reports about ongoing industrial relations disputes in the Victorian education sector and we wanted to outline the current situation and what it means for OLA. 

• OLA operates under the Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2022, a four-year agreement that expired in December 2025. 
• Since early 2025, the School has, in collaboration with other Victorian Catholic school employers, been seeking a fresh cooperative workplace agreement. These negotiations have been led by Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA), the peak body for Victorian Catholic schools. 
• The parties have not yet concluded a new enterprise agreement.
• At the same time, the State Government has, in parallel, been seeking to conclude a new enterprise agreement for state schools.

While the Catholic sector negotiations are separate from the State Government negotiations, VCEA has, consistent with the 2022 agreement, committed to pay parity with state school teachers and staff. As a result, the state school outcome will, in large part, flow through to OLA.

Once concluded, the new agreement is likely to result in substantial cost increases for all State and Catholic schools. Using the latest State Government pay offer as a guide, key features will include:

• Salary increases of at least 28.3% over four years, with an initial 12.75 % increase by October 2026
• Significant increases in staff allowances, including daily allowances for staff supervising camps 

Rest assured that we are monitoring the situation closely and that we will work with Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools and OSAC to understand and mitigate the impacts this may have on school operations. 

The leadership team and OSAC remain focussed on maintaining the outstanding educational and formation experience at OLA. We have outstanding teachers and staff at OLA. The expertise, hard work and care they bring to work each day will be evident to you and is what provides the first rate OLA education that our students enjoy. We thank our teachers and staff for their efforts and will continue to support them going forward. Information on the negotiations is available on the VCEA website.    

Phones and Smart Watches

We ask families to remind their children that all mobile phones and Smart Watches (i.e. any device with cellular capacity) are to be handed in to the office at the beginning of each school day. This is important from a child safety perspective and applies to all students. This also aligns with the Victorian State Government legislation and is a consistent position across MACS schools, independent schools and government schools. Thank you for your cooperation. Parents who need to contact their child can do so by contacting the school office.

Car Park Safety

A reminder to all families to take it gently in our OLA Car Park and to remember that the safety of all in our community needs to be the focus of this space. If you are pushed for time I would encourage you to come up with Plan B. Please follow the arrows in the car park and drive at 5km per hour. Please remind grandparents and helpers of this as it is often those visiting our community who are not aware of our processes.

A reminder that all cars lining up in the left lane are in the process of dropping off or picking up their child and we ask that parents remain in the car and that your child has quick access to their bag/s for a quick kiss/hug and drop. Cars in the right lane are proceeding through the car park to locate a car park. If your child is not at the gate when you arrive at the front of the line we will kindly ask you to move into a car park so we can keep the flow. Thank you for your patience and for not sounding your horn during this time. If you do a lap of the car park or enter from Wilson Street and turn left to join the queue you may get a little locked in until the flow of cars begin to move. We thank you again for your patience with this.

We ask that all children especially toddlers and pre-schoolers are supervised by parents and carers at all times when in the carpark and school grounds. Please ensure you are holding your pre-schoolers hand when in the carpark.

Secondhand Uniform Donations

We are calling for donations for our second hand uniform stall. Items can be delivered to the school office and families are ask to please ensure they have been washed and are in good condition. 

OLA Fete

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...

• August is the month for lucky bottle donations - please donate a bottle of wine or spirits for this fun stall at our Fete. You may want to think about going in with a family to donate a bottle of champagne or spirits. Bottles are stored under lock and key at the front office!!
• Do you have any white squares that you would consider lending to us for the day?
• Taking the time to reach out to companies and small businesses to sponsor or make donations to our Fete
• Can you make jams or preserves for our Fete?
• Do you or a sporting club that you belong to have a Marquee that we could borrow for the Fete so that we can reduce hiring costs?
• Are you able to bag up some mixed lolly bags or make cup cakes or larger cakes/slices for our Cake Stall closer to the time?
• Save some money by purchasing Early Bird Wrist Bands for the Rides
• Don’t forget to donate your pre-loved toys, books and clothes - Please take them to store in Exodus Hall.

Child Safe Standard 7

11 months 11 standards...

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

For August it is Child Safe Standard 7.

“Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.” 

As Catholic educators, we have a moral, mission-driven and legal responsibility to uphold and actively promote the wellbeing and safety of every student entrusted in our care. Our commitment to the protection of students includes ensuring that children, families and community members can raise complaints and concerns safely, are listened to respectfully, and understand how to access child-focused complaint processes that prioritise childrenʼs voices and wellbeing. 

Our Catholic communities uphold clear, accessible and child-centred policies and procedures for responding to complaints and concerns, supporting staff and volunteers to act promptly, lawfully and with integrity so that child safety and wellbeing are central to every response.

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.

Planning for 2027

As we begin preparations for the 2027 school year, 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 3, 2026

Tuesday 14 July - Friday 18 September (10 weeks)

Term 4, 2026

Tuesday 6 October - Tuesday 15 Dec (11 weeks)

Pupil Free Days for 2026

• Monday 5 October Vision For Instruction continued
• 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

Australian Mathematics Competition

At OLA we celebrated Mathematical curiosity with over 40 students from Grade 3-6 in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC), one of the nation's premier problem solving competitions. The AMC offers our young learners a valuable opportunity to apply critical reasoning and creative thinking alongside peers from schools nationwide. We are so proud of our students for embracing the challenge with enthusiasm and determination. We commend our students for embracing this challenge and celebrate their commitment to learning.

Library Initiative

Our OLA SRC has led an initiative asking for student voice in our beautiful library. Children have been invited to write down books they wish were in our library and each term we are prioritising some to be purchased. Recently one wish of a book about fish came true! Congratulations and thank you to the SRC, Miss Riley and Mrs Grima for your work on this wonderful initiative. 

Running Club

Running Club is alive and well. Happy Friday vibes and house team points are given to all children who participate. Thank you families for your support in helping our students be active and start the school day in such a positive way and thank you to our amazing staff for turning up and making opportunities like this possible.

Soccer

Our OLA Girls Soccer Team has enjoyed an outstanding run this year, winning all of their matches at Interschool Sport and Division Soccer before progressing to the Regional Finals. The girls narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a penalty shootout in the semis. They showed fantastic teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout the competition. Congratulations to all the girls on an incredible achievement!

Prep Buddies

At OLA we really value the grade 5/6 Buddy Program.  Maisie in Grade 2 has had a long lasting relationship with her buddy Bella K (OLA 2025) who is now coaching Maisie's Under 9 Moorabbin Tigers Glitterballers basketball team which includes Chiara, Mia and Sadie all from Grade 2. They recently got their first win this season with their new supportive and knowledgeable coach. 

Happy Birthday Jaffa!

Happy 77th birthday to Jaffa! Jaffa is rightly proud of her age and absolutely loves her work in keeping our OLA community safe as they cross the road to and from school. Thank you for joining us in wishing Jaffa a happy birthday. 

May this be a wonderful weekend for you and your family. We can't wait to see all our students and staff on Monday 24 August for our annual Book Week Dress Up Parade. A reminder the theme is a 'Symphony of Stories'.

Richard Jacques

Principal