Dear Families,

To the World you may be just a Grandparent,

but to us,

You are a treasure beyond measure.

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly was celebrated on 26th July. Grandparents represent the generations who have faithfully lived their lives, being loving and kind and giving so much of themselves to their children and their grandchildren. They have the most wonderful contributions to make, establishing a bond within families while acknowledging their responsibilities of sharing their vast wisdom and rich experiences. We are reminded that the older people in our lives have a greater perspective and depth of experience than we do and we appreciate their knowledge and insights.

Saints Joachim and Anne are said to be the parents of Mary. Mary had good, faithful parents who raised her with a love and devotion to God. Ss. Joachim and Anne serve as role models for parents and grandparents and both deserve to be honoured and emulated for their devotion to God and Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God.

Loving God,

we thank you for the gift of our grandparents.

May they be filled with your joy and peace,

and may their lives be a reflection of your love.

We ask that you bless them with good health,

happiness, and the grace

to be witnesses of faith to their grandchildren.

May all grandparents and the elderly

never be ignored or excluded,

but cherished in all the years of life which you give them.

Amen.

Grandparents Day

As a school community we celebrated Grandparents Day on Monday. It was a lovely celebration as we honoured the incredible grandparents and special friends among us.

A huge thank you to all the families who brought something to share for morning tea and to the parents who came in on Sunday to set up the hall and who helped out on Monday - Jess, Nicole, Alyssa, Sophie, Krystal, Carlie, Stella, Vanessa, Belinda and Anna. We could not have had such a wonderful celebration without your hard work. We also thank Fr Raju for coming in to spend his day off with us.

Though we set aside a special day each year, our appreciation doesn’t stop on Grandparents Day. Grandparent figures, whether they are grandparents, great-grandparents, or beloved special friends deserve recognition all year round.

Concert

We are only days away from out Concert on Monday 4th August at 7:00pm. The children have been rehearsing and preparing and are ready to showcase their spectacular performances. We can't wait to see you all there. Don't forget to book your tickets with cash via the office or through CDF Pay.

Kitchen Garden

We have temporarily paused the Kitchen Garden program this term due to the works on the hall kitchen. We will let families know when we are back up and running.

Athletics Day

We had a great athletics day on Tuesday with many students receiving a ribbon. Thank you to Sue and all the amazing parent helpers for their support on the day. A great day was had by all.

Principal's Conference

I am lucky enough to be attending the South Eastern Zone's Principal Conference from Saturday 16th August until Saturday 23rd August. During this time Jo Cowan will be Acting Principal.

The conference this year will take place over two parts. The first being a retreat at the Seville Mercy Centre where we will focus on faith formation and how we as principal's can lead a Catholic community. The second part is the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference, taking place at the Cairns Convention Centre.

I am looking forward to attending the conference and bringing my learning back to the COHR community.

AI and the Digital Generation - Free Parent Webinar

Catholic Network Australia (CNA) and Cyber Safety Project are hosting a free ‘AI & the Digital Generation’ webinar for parents and carers of primary and secondary school students on Monday 11 August 2025 from 7.30 to 8.00 pm.

Registration and further information are available via bit.ly/AICSP25 .
The webinar offers essential insights into topics including:
− generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI companion apps
− deepfakes and online misinformation
− AI safety at home
− legal and ethical considerations of AI use.
The webinar will help parents and carers:
− understand the online tools and technologies their children are using
− build confidence in discussing AI, deepfakes and digital truth with their children
− learn practical strategies to encourage safe and ethical online behaviour.

Building Work Update

We are making great progress with the building works and repairs. Over the holidays and the first two weeks back the following works were completed:

A new roof was installed on the junior building
The ceilings in the junior building were fixed and repainted
New poles for the shade sails were installed
The plaster and tiling work in the hall was completed
The library/3-4 and 5-6 areas have been fixed and the walls/ceiling have been painted
The shade sails have been installed

We still have quite a bit of work to complete, with the hall kitchen taking the most time. We are anticipating the following works will be complete in the coming weeks:

The hall still needs some work. The kitchen has to be reinstalled. We are now replacing the floor in the kitchen so this will add extra time
A section of the carpet in the library still needs to be replaced (hopefully tomorrow)
The fence on Huntingdale Road still needs to be replaced (we are at least another week away
The fence behind the tennis court still needs to be fixed
It was too wet on the holidays for the synthetic grass to be fixed. We will do this once the weather improves.

Passing of Tim Noonan

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of our former principal, Mr Tim Noonan, on Saturday 19th July, 2025.

Tim was the principal at Christ Our Holy Redeemer from 2005 - 2011 and was also principal at St Patrick's Mentone.

Tim was a greatly admired educator, teacher, principal, mentor and, more recently, system improvement leader in the MACS office. His loss will be felt dearly by so many.

He leaves behind his beloved wife, Anne, and their two children, Melanie and Ben. We extend our heartfelt condolences and ongoing prayers to his family during this difficult time.

Reminders

A reminder that we have a School Closure Day on Friday August 8th.

All the best for a great week ahead.

Aimee Gale

Principal

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