Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families

As we make our way through the halfway mark of Term 2, it seems another wave of illness is moving through our community, with many students, staff, and families feeling the effects. We encourage everyone to be gentle with themselves and others during this time and, where appropriate, we kindly ask families to 'err on the side of caution' by keeping students at home if they are showing any signs or symptoms of illness. While this is typical for this stage of the term, with fatigue setting in and the seasonal change underway, it’s important that we all respond with care and consideration to all members of our community - thank you for your understanding.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week began on 27 May and goes through to 3 June, and our school community is incredibly excited to bring this year's theme, "All In" to life.

This theme reminds us that reconciliation belongs to everyone. It requires active commitment from every single student, staff member, and family. Our student FIRE Carriers (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) have shown exactly what it means to be All In. They have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to plan a meaningful, engaging week for all year levels, and we are so proud of their incredible leadership and organisation.

Our FIRE Carriers have designed a fantastic lineup of daily events to ensure every student can participate and connect:

• Daily PA Reflections: Each morning will begin with the FIRE Carriers leading our school community in an Acknowledgement of Country and a shared prayer over the PA system.
• Classroom Visits: FIRE Carriers will visit every classroom to deliver a special 5-minute presentation tailored to each year level.
• Lunchtime Trivia: During eating times, students can test their knowledge with a daily lunchtime trivia question customised for each specific year level.
• Prep Activities: Our youngest learners in Prep will be All In with a special hand-colouring activity during lunchtime.
• Senior Highlights: Our Grade 5/6 students will face off in an exciting, educational Kahoot challenge at lunchtime.
• Whole-School Assembly: Our Grade 5/6 FIRE Carriers will lead a special presentation at our next whole school assembly to wrap up our week of celebration.

• Our All In colouring competition is officially underway! Please ensure your child writes both their name and class clearly on their sheet before handing it in.

  Due Date: Completed entries must be submitted by Wednesday, 3 June.

  Winners will be proudly announced at our school assembly on Friday, 5 June.

We are so proud of our student leaders and Mrs Lee for putting together such a comprehensive week of celebration. 

MACS’ Vision for Learning 

At OLA we are proud of our journey with MACS' Vision for Learning and our commitment to evidence informed practice, high expectations for all learners, strong instructional teaching, and creating learning environments where every student can thrive. At OLA, this aligns strongly with the disciplined and strategic approach we have taken across our teaching and learning programs, including our continued focus on the Science of Learning, explicit teaching, strong routines and conditions for learning, staff professional growth, and ensuring all students are supported to achieve success. Please refer to the Learning and Teaching tab for more information about the Vision For Instruction at OLA.

Uniforms are looking great

Thank you to all for the extra efforts in ensuring our students are wearing the OLA uniform with pride. With cold and wet days well and truly here, it is a reminder that all long sleeve shirts are to be tucked in and if we are wearing jumpers we also tuck in our shirts so there is no shirt showing through at the bottom of our jumpers. We are also aware that students are needing reminders to only wear PE uniform on PE days and not on Netball or other before and after school sport days. Please bring your runners for these moments or get changed for such training sessions. Thank you for supporting us with this important aspect of belonging to a community that has a beautiful uniform to wear.

 A few gentle reminders:

• No nail polish.

• No cellular watches or phones to be with children during the school day (must be left at front office).

• Hair that is below shoulder length must be tied up.

• Stud/sleeper earrings only.

• One necklace worn under the shirt is welcome - no bracelets (unless religious significance).

• White socks on PE days, navy socks otherwise.

• Sneakers only worn on PE day or as instructed by the classroom teacher.

• Students must change their shoes after netball lessons. 

Mass with our Parish

Thank you to our 5/6 students for leading our recent Thursday Masses at OLA. We love the way our parishioners, godparents, parents and grandparents support our students. What a great community we have.

Working Bee

A huge thank you to all the amazing parents, students and volunteers who joined our school working bee on Saturday 16 May. From tidying gardens and spreading mulch to cleaning and repairs, every helping hand made a real difference. Thanks to your hard work, our school grounds are now even safer, cleaner and more welcoming for our students. We’re so grateful for the wonderful community spirit shown throughout the day.

At OLA we hold Working Bees where we ask our families to commit to one rostered Working Bee a year completing basic gardening and maintenance tasks.

The next Working Bees will take place on the following dates:

• Term 3 - Saturday 25 July 10am-12pm
• Term 4 - Friday 30 October 4-6pm

If you have a particular skill that could help the school please also let us know and we can ensure that you are able to be assigned to an appropriate task. Please note you are welcome to swap/change your days with another family or you can make a donation (on average families donate $50) if you are unable to attend. If you would like to request a different date to attend a Working Bee please email Sharan at the office (office@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au) with your preference.  Thank you as always for your support of our great school.

Theatre Sports at OLA!

You have witnessed your children performing their hearts out in our productions. Introducing a new Performing Arts event at OLA - the annual 'improv' mayhem of Theatre Sports! Watch the Grade 5 and 6 students battle it out playing a series of theatre games in the hope of becoming the 2026 Theatre Sports champions.  The students have been in training, learning 'improv' games that they will play out on the day. There are no scripts here - students rely on their wits (and teammates) to carry them through! We would love families and friends to attend. This wonderful celebration of drama will take place in the hall on Monday June 22 from 9.00-11.00am (approx.)

Child Safe Standard 5

11 months 11 standards...

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

For June it is Child Safe Standard 5.

‘Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.’ 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 children and young people is grounded in fairness, inclusion, and respect for diversity, ensuring every child is treated with dignity and care. Our Catholic communities strive to create welcoming and inclusive environments where diversity is honoured, equity is embedded, and the unique needs of every child and young person are respected.

2027 Preps!

We are excited to announce that Enrolments for Prep 2027 are at capacity. A reminder to anyone that you may know considering OLA for Prep next year that applications were due Monday 30 March. However, if you know of anyone who may be late to the table or may have forgotten, enrolments are still welcome and will be placed on our active Waiting List. Enrolments for other grades in 2027 are also welcome with some grades having a waiting list operating as well. Enrolments for 2028 are now open and we encourage interested families to enrol now.

We remain indebted to our current families and staff who continue to spread the great word about our school, as this was referenced by nearly every single new family we met with. It has been a joy to see the children share what they are looking forward to and to see first hand how curious and keen they are to learn.

NCCD and Supporting Students with Disability 

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting all learners at OLA, our school participates each year in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). This process helps schools better understand and support the needs of students who may require adjustments to access learning on the same basis as their peers. The information below provides an overview of the NCCD process and what it may mean for your child. If you have any questions regarding your child’s learning needs or support, please feel free to contact Shelby Turner, Learning Diversity Leader and Wellbeing Leader (as of Monday!).

School Fees

A reminder that school fees and levies are now due. We ask families to please ensure payments are kept up to date. If you have any questions regarding your account, or require support, please contact the school office.

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 2, 2026

Monday 20 April - Friday 26 June (10 weeks)

Term 3, 2026

Tuesday 14 July - Friday 18 September (10 weeks)

Term 4, 2026

Tuesday 6 October - Tuesday 15 Dec (11 weeks)

Please note: 

School Closure Day on Friday 5 June for Staff Professional Learning with Fr Rob Galea.

Congratulations

Playtime

It is beautiful to see our Preps playing with each other so nicely. We talk daily about saying and doing kind things and we think the message is getting around what a good friend is and how we can be that for each other.

Division Cross Country

Congratulations to:

Elle F

Sophie M

Cleo K 

Brigitte M

Harry C 

for representing OLA at the Division Cross Country Championships at Cornish College. OLA was represented proudly and we loved how all involved gave their best.  The course was muddy and slippery so the children did well to stay on their feet. A special mention to Elle for getting in the top 10 and going onto the next level - Regionals.

Special reminders:

OLA Parent Trivia Night

Wishing our families a wonderful weekend. 

A reminder that the school will be closed for students on Friday June 5 so staff can undertake a Faith Formation Day with Fr Rob Galea. 

Richard Jacques

Principal