Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families

What a great couple of weeks at OLA! Lots of hands on practical learning with skills for life being learnt and lots of wonderful memories being created at events like G Day and 100 Days of Prep. Thank you to everyone for your positive spirit, support and presence.

It feels like just yesterday these smiling faces walked through the school gates for the very first time! Check out our photo gallery to see how our amazing Preps celebrated 100 official days of school this week.

G Day

We loved celebrating our grand, great, gold, good people in our lives at our G Day - Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Monday 27 July. We loved meeting all the Nannas, Nonnas, Grandpas, Grandmas, Gramps, Pops and special people. It was lovely to see the children proudly hosting their special people, showing them around their school and classroom, having them join in with meditation, prayer and morning greeting followed by the Prayer Service in our OLA Church, interviews, activities, games and the sharing of morning tea. The homemade treats looked amazing! We had grandparents arriving from the early hours filling our car parks, on Zoom, grandparents making a road trip from their farm in Central Victoria and the lakes in the Gippsland. They also flew in from South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania and even all the way from xx! There was such a buzz and it was such a precious time. 

We loved hearing from Mason and Charlotte's grandmother Mandy - thank you Mandy. Mandy represented all our special visitors and spoke about the gift of grandchildren. Mandy shared with us her love of spending time with her grandkids which many of us could relate to and I share a couple of snippets from her speech:

The unconditional love, laughter, cuddles, support and care that grandparents or G people have to offer is a special gift, willingly shared with their family. The joy of watching your baby grandchild grow and develop into a beautiful little human is the best.

Grandparents and grandchildren have a special bond, sharing knowledge, asking questions, solving problems, playing, reading books, and having lots of fun. We have the time and love to give to all of our grandkids, and treats! The cookie jar filled with mini packets of Oreo biscuits, tiny teddies and mini Pretzels, add a little “something special“ to go with the fruit!

Being part of our grandchildren’s lives is magical, and has provided the opportunity for us to experience a great deal of their young lives so far. We look forward with interest to continue to watch their unfolding journey in life, and in some small way play a positive and guiding role.

We loved hearing our special visitors giving tips on living life to the full to their grandchildren. The messages were beautiful: 

Just be you

Be your own kind of beautiful

Love yourself

Always remember how very much you are loved

Be kind

Make the most of every opportunity

Respect yourself and respect your elders

Be respectful, welcoming and inclusive of all regardless of their differences

We are perfect just the way we are

Grab your life with both hands and shake it

Enjoy your life.

This has to be one of our most favourite days of the year and we are grateful for the gratitude expressed to our staff following this special event:

To the Principal, staff and pupils of OLA.

I had the joyful experience of accompanying my Granddaughter last Monday morning to participate in your “G” day celebrations. On my three hour drive back to the farm in North Central Victoria I had the opportunity to reflect on the occasion. I have come away with a warm feeling that here is a school that has created a relaxed, caring and professional learning environment. It was evident that the values of kindness, respect, integrity, inclusion and compassion are cornerstones of your school’s ethos. There were so, so many happy faces. Unlike her Pa, my granddaughter, LOVES going to school!! Congratulations and heartfelt thanks for organising the occasion. Well done all.

Working Bee thank you

What a great Working Bee on Saturday 25 July! A huge thank you to the many families who came along to our OLA Term 3 Working Bee - the school looks fantastic! 

With so many helping hands, we got so much done: soft fall was spread, gardens weeded, sandpits raked, pathways and drains cleared, roses pruned, hedges trimmed and gutters emptied. Our school and church grounds are now looking better and more safer than ever. We couldn't have done it without you! 

Performing Arts Night

Last night we enjoyed our annual OLA Performing Arts Night at OLA in Brigid Hall. It was lovely to see so many parents, family members and friends in attendance.

The evening featured performances from our Instrumental Program, Choir and Wakakirri students. These performances truly highlighted the incredible talent, dedication, and creativity of our students, who shone brightly on stage.

Participating in the performing arts during primary school years is vital for children's development. Learning a musical instrument is so powerful in developing the brain and strengthening memory. Singing together in a choir builds a powerful sense of social connection, teamwork, and emotional wellbeing, while dance improves physical coordination, spatial awareness, and flexibility. These opportunities build deep self confidence, fosters teamwork, and unlocks creativity that benefits students far beyond the stage. Thank you to Sabrinka and her Music Teachers, Mrs O'Gorman, Mrs Harrison and Mrs McDowall for leading the OLA Choir and to Miss Summers, Miss Jones and Miss Lim for their work with our Wakakirri students.

We wish our Wakakirri students and teachers all the very best for Tuesday's big performance at Frankston Arts Centre - Chookas!! Your story telling and movement around kindness is very special and so important to us here at OLA.

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.    

OSAC

Co-Chairs Report

A busy and productive OSAC meeting was held last Monday 3 August.

OSAC celebrated and provided feedback on OLA Trivia Night, Grandparents and Special Friends Day as well as the latest Working Bee. Thanks to all the parent helpers who assisted with these events run smoothly and for helping add to the wonderful sense of community here at OLA.

Richard informed us that the school had completed their termly emergency drill and that the school's annual essential safety measures inspection was carried out and a compliant report was received and viewed at the meeting.

Car parking safety and phone and smart watches policy were discussed, and a notice regarding these items have been included in this newsletter. Recent updated MACS policies were also made available and tabled for discussion - these policies have also been updated on our school website. Last years Annual Report to the Community was also shared and made available to us and is also available at the school front office for all in our community.

Class structures and numbers together with 2027 school fees and how to best minimise the impact of the new teachers' EBA were discussed at length. We know we have a great school here at OLA and we will continue to work together with the Principal to ensure we can help provide and guide the best outcome for OLA.

Lucas Ryle & Ros Sayers 

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.

Save the Date - OLA Art Show

We are delighted that our 2026 Art Show will be held on Thursday 8 October from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

This year's theme is 'Flourish', a concept that will connect across all special areas of our community life, such as, botanicals, nature, family, friends, faith, culture, learning and our environment.

The Art Show is always a highlight of the school calendar, providing an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, imagination and artistic talents of every student. Families will have the chance to view a stunning collection of artworks created throughout the year and experience our school transformed into a vibrant gallery space. Further details will be shared next term. 

Volunteers

If there are any parents who would be keen to help with mounting and labelling the children’s artwork on cover paper this term please email our Art Teacher Sam Hudson shudson@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au 

OLA Fete

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

• 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. 

Catholic School Parents Victoria – Newsletter 

Catholic School Parents Victoria (CSPV) has been re-established. For more information please refer to the CSPV website (www.cspv.catholic.edu.au) and social media channels CSPV is pleased to launch its new quarterly newsletter which can be viewed here.

This edition includes: 

• Introductions for the CSPV Chair and Executive Officer 
• NAPLAN Results Are Coming Home 
• What do they mean for your child? 
• Parenting in the Digital Age 
• Webinar – Understanding AI and New Online Risks for Children – presented by the eSafety Commission. 

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

Girls Soccer Team Advances to Regionals!

The OLA Girls Soccer Team has continued its outstanding run, earning a place in the Regionals after another fantastic day of football (soccer)! On Wednesday 29th July, the team proudly represented OLA winning all of their games in the pool and then going on to win in the final. Despite playing through rain, hail, and strong winds, the girls showed incredible resilience, determination, and teamwork. No matter the conditions, they remained focussed, supported one another, and displayed excellent sportsmanship throughout the day.

Their hard work and commitment paid off as they once again finished on top, progressing through to the Regionals which will take place on Monday 17th August. This is a wonderful achievement and a testament to the girls' dedication, skill, and positive attitude.

A special thank you goes to our families and supporters who braved the challenging weather to cheer on the team. Your encouragement and respectful support helped create a positive atmosphere for all players, coaches, officials, and spectators.

Congratulations to the entire team on this fantastic accomplishment. We are incredibly proud of the way you represented OLA, both on and off the field, and we wish you all the very best as you prepare for the Regional Finals. Go OLA!

Mr Glennon

Tee Ball

Congratulations to our Boys' Tee Ball team on an outstanding performance at the Division competition on Friday 31 July. The boys finished the day undefeated with three wins and one draw, displaying excellent teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. They narrowly missed out on progressing to the Finals, with the result decided on runs for and against. They should be incredibly proud of their efforts and the way they represented our school. A big thank you to our parent volunteers and supporters. 

Invitation

Melbourne Synod

Our Parish invite our OLA school families to join them for the Melbourne Synod Christ Our Light Parish Consultation, Monday 10 August, 7:00pm-8:30pm at St Agnes Parish Hall, Highett. Our Christ Our Light Parish will convene a parish consultation on the Synod themes - Youth Discipleship, Mission and Evangelisation, Formation and Participation.

We invite any members of our school community who would like to have input into the Synod themes, to come to the meeting on Monday evening. Please find attached the papers on the three themes that have been issued by the Synod staff which may be of interest. 

Have a wonderful weekend. Look at these happy faces. A great snapshot of the lovely playtimes being enjoyed at OLA. 

Richard Jacques

Principal