Dear Families,

We have certainly had a busy start to the term. Thank you for all of your support with the numerous events that have been held so far. When I first arrived at the start of last year, I was told about how supportive and connected the community is here at COHR and I can assure you I see this in action every day. We are lucky to have such a fabulous community that gets behind all the events and activities we hold.

“Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:22-33

The message in Sunday’s Gospel is one Jesus really wants us to hear and believe ’Do not be afraid.’

Jesus went to the hills to pray and he sent his disciples out fishing on the lake. As evening came the disciples were far out on the lake and encountered heavy seas. Jesus came to them walking on water. They thought they were seeing a ghost and cried out. Jesus told them not to be afraid. Peter answered, “Lord,” he said, “If it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.” “Come,” said Jesus. Peter got out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus across the water but soon he felt the force of the wind and took fright and began to sink. Peter’s lack of faith triggers the cry, “Lord save me.” Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’

Peter’s actions were a combination of love and faith weakened by doubt. While Peter was focused on Jesus he was fine but when he allowed himself to be distracted by what was going on around him he began to sink.

Peter is very much like us at times leaping out into the unknown, beginning to doubt and then becoming afraid. If we forget that Jesus is right there with us, we can let the storms of life cause us to sink. Doubt is not a contradiction to faith but a call for faith to be strengthened.

Help is available in Jesus who is truly the Son of God. Jesus often went to a quiet place to pray. Spend some quiet time this week in prayer and reflection about the storms and troubles that toss us about and throw us off balance. What are some of the ways we can stretch out our hand to those who are sinking?

Introducing SPARK NIGHT

We are excited to introduce SPARK Night on Thursday 8th October! A fresh new take on our traditional Art Show, this special evening will celebrate and showcase the learning, creativity and achievements from all of our specialist programs, including Art, STEM, Italian, Physical Education, Library and Performing Arts. Students will have the opportunity to share their work, performances and projects with families, highlighting the diverse range of experiences that help them grow, create and thrive.

There will be activities to do, a sausage sizzle, our traditional class art piece raffles, as well as door prizes and DJ Will will provide entertainment as you roam around the school exploring the different showcases. We look forward to welcoming our school community for an inspiring evening of discovery, innovation and celebration. More information will be provided closer to the date, but for now save the date!

Bake Fest

A huge thank you to our wonderful parent community for supporting this year's Bake Fest. Thanks to your generosity and the delicious donations, we raised an amazing $392.70. The bake sale was expertly organised and led by our Year 6 Learning Leaders, who demonstrated fantastic leadership, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout the event. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who baked, donated, purchased treats and helped make the day such a success.

Grandparents and Special Friend's Day

A huge thank you to the Parent Association, especially Jess, Ally, Nicole, Karly, Lucinda, Sophie and Estella for putting together such a warm and welcoming setting for Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We also had Jasper and Juke's Grandfather Bill and his wife Pip give up their time to help set up as well. Thank you to everyone who contributed food for the morning tea. It was lovely to see so many visitors enjoying time at our school.

Hot Dog Lunch

Thanks to Melissa for all of the organisation that went in to making our Hot Dog lunch so successful. We also thank Ivan, Lucy, Maria and Kate for helping out on the day.

AFLW Collingwood Player Visit

Our Year 5/6 students had a very special visit from the AFLW Collingwood players, who joined us on Wednesday for a Q&A session. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, learn more about their football journeys and hear about the commitment, teamwork and resilience needed to play at an elite level. It was also wonderful to welcome back past student Charlotte Brewer, who is now part of the Collingwood AFLW team. Charlotte shared some of her favourite memories from her time at COHR and spoke about the important role our school community played in supporting her journey. It was inspiring for our students to hear how the friendships, experiences and values she developed at COHR have stayed with her and helped shape who she is today.

MACS Funding and Budgeting for 2027

You may have seen in the news that MACS is facing ever increasing staffing costs, especially as the new wages and conditions agreement for staff are being negotiated at the moment.

Currently, all Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure we are well placed to support our staff, students and school communities in the coming year. This includes looking at how we can accommodate the changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with school staff.

We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing and we are making a conscious effort to ensure these costs are not passed on through significant fee increases.

At Christ Our Holy Redeemer we are well placed for 2027 and into the future. Our budget process is underway and we are carefully planning to ensure we continue to provide high-quality learning opportunities, well-maintained facilities and strong support for our students and families. Through strategic investment in teaching and learning, resources and school improvement initiatives, we remain committed to creating a thriving environment where every child can learn, grow and succeed. We look forward to building on our strengths and continuing to work in partnership with our community as we shape an exciting future for our school.

State Election Funding for Catholic Schools

Please see the attached a letter from the Victorian Catholic Education Authority outlining the work that is currently underway to secure a funding commitment for capital investment in Victorian Catholic schools. This would support ongoing improvements to our schools and provision of new schools. Please take the time to read the letter.

Reminders

Year 5/6 Camp will be held Monday 17th August until Wednesday 19th August.
Don't forget our next school closure day is on Friday August 21st.
Our Book Week Parade will be held on Wednesday August 26th. Start thinking about costumes now!
Confirmation is on Sunday August 30th at 3pm in the Christ Our Holy Redeemer Church.
Save the Date for SPARK NIGHT - Thursday 8th October. More details to follow soon.

Have a fantastic week ahead,

Aimee Gale

Principal

Classroom Cuisine Menu

Updated Menu for Term 3