Principal's News
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Dear Parents & Parishioners,
Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day
It was heart-warming to see all the visitors entering the school grounds last Friday which was indicative of the special morning that lay ahead. This very cherished day on our calendar offers our students the opportunity to honour and celebrate those significant people in their lives, whether they be grandparents, aunts, uncles, mum, dad or a family friend. The church was literally 'at capacity' and that, within itself, indicates how this day is viewed by our community. I spoke about the precious cross-generational connection that grandparents share with our students, a link that I continue to be convinced is amongst the most special of human bonds. Fr Hoang's homily focussed on the special qualities of grandparents and the qualities they see in their grandchildren.
Following mass, the students proudly paraded their guests around the classrooms and shared some of the learning. The morning concluded with the time-honoured morning tea in the hall. Here the guests were entertained by our school choir, led by Mr Jon Bode, where they performed A Million Miles from The Greatest Showman. For those you you that were not there, the choir did not fail to impress!
A team of parents had set up the hall in the day prior, displaying the students’ beautiful artworks while arranging the tables, chairs, crockery and flowers. Thank you to the year 5/6 parents who contributed to the morning tea. We greatly appreciate the efforts of all those who assisted in any way possible, including the team who packed up and cleaned up the hall and kichen.
A big 'shout out' to Ryan Davis and his team of traffic marshalls who assisted with traffic management in the local streets.
Events such as this day, where so many proudly 'chip-in' to help, confirm the fact that we have a strong community at OHR.
... Cannot wait for next year.
Guided Learning Walk for Parents
Yesterday, we conducted out first Learning Walk of the year for our parents. On the Walk we visited both year 3/4 classrooms, a Mandarin lesson (5/6CM) and Mrs Hautot's class (2TH). The parents observed a maths lesson, a Mandarin class - focussing on the Dragon Boat Festival - and a Soundwaves lesson. The parents witnessed first-hand our approach to explicit instruction.
Some of the feedback we received comprised the following:
engaged and happy students
consistency of practice across classrooms
calm and supportive learning environments
strong emphasis on best-practice teaching
classrooms the cater for all abilities of learning
opportunities for everyone to succeed.
Another Parent Learning Walk will be offered next term. Even if you attended yesterday's Walk, parents are encouraged to return for the next one as each Learning Walk is different to the previous.
Baptisms
Blessings to Jack, Zara and Max C who were all baptised last weekend. What a beautiful celebration for the family as all three siblings were welcomed into God's family during the one cermony.
Welcome
This week, we welcome two new Learning Support Officers who have joined the team at OHR. Amy Liddelow is working on Mondays and Tuesdays, while Ally Richardson will be here on Thursdays and Fridays.
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
The NCCD is an annual collection of information about Australian school students with disability. The NCCD enables schools, education authorities and governments to better understand the needs of students with disability and how they can be best supported at school. The definition of ‘students with disability’ applies broadly to any student who has received adjustments over 10 weeks within a 12-month period.
Information pertaining to the NCCD can be found in today’s Newsletter on the Learning Diversity page.
PFA Events
Make sure that you jump to the PFA News page for details of upcoming events including the 'OHR Dads Night Out' and the 'Winter Solstice Barbeque'.
Semester One Reports & Parent Teacher Conferences
Semester One Reports will go live on Monday 30 June. Instructions for accessing the reports will be communicated closer to the time.
Due to the fact that a number of classroom teachers will be away on Long Service Leave during the last week of Term 2, the Parent Teacher Conferences will be held early next term on Thursday 31 July.
Unwell Child? - Repeated
If your child is unwell, we would appreciate that they be kept home in order to recover and minimise the spread of sickness to their peers and members of staff. We realise that this is challenging for working parents, however, an unwell child at school does not bode well for anyone, particularly the child.
School Closure Day
Our next school closure day for staff professional learning will take place next Friday 6 June, which immediately precedes the King's Birthday long weekend. The staffs from our three parish schools will gather together on this day where the focus will be on Staff Faith Formation.
Wishing everyone a great weekend,
Frank Dame