Principal's Piece 

Term 4, Week 7

Dear Parents and Carers, 

On Thursday, 6th November, Chloe Barnes proudly represented Our Lady’s at the Victorian State Athletics Championships held at Lakeside Stadium. Competing in the girls 10 year old discus, Chloe impressed everyone by finishing 5th overall, an incredible achievement, especially considering she is still only in Year 3! All 5 of Chloe’s throws were personal bests, which demonstrates her dedication and determination. We are all incredibly proud of Chloe’s accomplishments and look forward to seeing her continued success in the years ahead. Congratulations, Chloe!

Our final fundraiser of the year, we will be supporting families in our local community through St. Vincent de Paul and our Parish. Over the next three weeks, we invite families to donate items to fill our Christmas Hampers. Your generosity will help brighten Christmas for families in need and show the true meaning of community spirit. Thank you for your support!

Next Wednesday, we will be having our 'Meet Your Teacher for Prep 2026', welcoming our excited future students and their families into our school community. This important opportunity allows our new Preps to begin building early connections with their teachers and peers, helping them feel comfortable, confident and ready for the year ahead. We look forward to meeting our newest learners and supporting them as they take these first steps on their primary school journey.

Organising 715 students into 28 classes is an important and complex task,  which we approach with great care and consideration. I ask that families trust and support the school's decisions on this matter. There are many factors that go into creating balanced and supportive class groups, including academic needs, social connections, individual learning styles, and the dynamics of each cohort. Our goal is to ensure the best possible learning environment for every child. I appreciate your understanding and support as It is not an easy task, but we are confident that with the dedication of our staff and your trust, we will create a structure that enables all our students to thrive.

Student reports are almost complete and will be sent home Monday 8th December. I thank both teachers and students for their efforts in completing an excellent year's work, which is reflected in the students' report. Please take the time to read the comments and congratulate your child/ren for all their achievements and growth they have shown in their learning this year. These reports will also include information about your child’s teacher for next year.  Meet Your Teacher Day for 2026 will be on Tuesday 9th December. This is always a highlight for our students as they meet their new teacher and begin building connections for a smooth transition into the next school year. Our Learning Celebrations will be on Tuesday 2nd December 3.30-6pm. This is an opportunity for our students to showcase their learning, growth and achievements with their families. 

Fees structures for 2026 have been finalised. At Our Lady’s we have always tried to keep fee increases to a minimum and next year is no different. However, financial funding regulations pressures have meant an increase of $100 for the family fee. Curriculum levies remain at $300 and camp levies have not increased. We have introduced a Camp Levy for Year 3 students as they will be participating in a day camp to prepare for future overnight camps. We have also introduced a $30 capital levy per student which will be used to fund our new building program and upgrades planned for 2026 and 2027. Further information regarding fees, MACS concessions and CSEF application are available on our school website. Please take some time to read through the relevant documentation. And also available on our website. 

A reminder to families to book tickets for our Christmas Musical on Thursday 11th December.

Location: Kolbe College Gymnasium (39 Lysterfield Dr, Greenvale)

Performance Times:  

5:30 pm: Samaritan and Teresa Houses

7:30 pm: Kolbe and Romero Houses 

PLEASE NOTE: Only family members require tickets, there is NO need to book a ticket for students attending Our Lady’s as seating has already been arranged for students. 

Link for tickets: https://compasstix.com/e/i48gs0w1h5 or the QR Code Below

If your child is not returning to Our Lady’s next year and you have not yet informed the school can you please email principal@olps.vic.edu.au 

School closure days this term:  Friday 28th November 

Take care and God Bless

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal