Principal's Piece 

Term 3, Week 7

Dear Parents and Carers, 

We had another successful Father’s Day Breakfast, with an incredible 486 people attending over the two mornings. It was a wonderful celebration of the special role fathers and father figures play in our community. A big thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the staff who helped make the mornings run so smoothly. Events like these highlight the strength of our community and the joy of coming together to celebrate, especially for our students. 

Congratulations to our Family and Friends Footy Tip winners for 2025! Thank you to everyone who participated and added some fun and friendly competition to the season. 

1- Bradley St Mart

2- John Mercuri

3- Steve Tonna 

Last week, our Year 4 students and families enjoyed a wonderful evening together at their Art Family Engagement Night. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the creativity and talent of our students and parents!! We thank the Year 4 team for their hard work in preparing such an engaging and successful night. 

We are also very proud of our Justice Leaders, who recently presented at Genazzano College about our Fill the Pantry initiative as part of the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. Their leadership and commitment to helping others is a true reflection of our school values in action. Thank you to Mr Iacopino for supporting our students. 

Some of our Year 6 students represented our school in the MAV Maths Competition. Congratulations to these students for challenging themselves and showcasing their problem-solving and teamwork skills at such a high level. Team 2 came equal 6th and Team 1 placed 7th out of 19 teams, so a great effort. Thank you to Ms Harvey for preparing and supporting our students. 

Next Friday, we come together as a school community to celebrate our annual Feast Day. It is always a highlight of our school year, bringing staff, students, and families together in faith and celebration. We look forward to marking this important day with Mass at 2pm and activities throughout the day. Students are to wear their house colour tops and will be provided with a sausage sizzle lunch, drink and donut. 

At our school, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We ask for your support in three important areas:

Parking: For the safety of our students, families are reminded not to use the staff carpark for drop-off or pick-up. The carpark is reserved for staff only and with the number of cars and children moving through the area at these times, it can become unsafe very quickly. Please use the designated parking areas around the school to ensure the safety of all.

Social Media Use: We have also been made aware of some students accessing social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, which are not age-appropriate for primary aged children. Unfortunately, when issues occur outside of school time, they can often flow into school and create unnecessary challenges for students and staff.  I strongly encourage families to monitor your child’s use of technology to ensure they are not accessing these platforms. Having open conversations with your child about online safety and setting clear boundaries will help them make safe and responsible choices.

WWC Cards: As part of our Child Safe Standards, any parent who wishes to be a volunteer at the school requires a valid Working with Children Check card. If your card has or is about to expire, please ensure you apply for a new card and provide a copy to the office. If your card has expired, you will be deleted from our WWC register until an updated card has been provided. 

Congratulations to our students who will be competing in Division Athletics on September 16. 

Chloe Barnes, Hudson Gentle, Denzell Tait, Jacob Hanona, Anthony Razqoo, Abellamary Toma, Obelle Sadik, Ryder Cardamone, Aidan Pearce, Lucia Giampietro, Indigo Fernando, Angela Mercuri, Scarlett D'Arro, Clara Razqoo, Lexi Mickleson, Lily Barnes, Josephine Ho, Isaac Hanona and Chelsea McDonald.

Through the month of September, we will be raising money to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation. If you would like to contribute to this important cause, you can donate directly through the following link:

https://fundraise.pcfa.org.au/fundraisers/olps

Each year, our school takes part in the MACSSIS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys). These surveys are an important opportunity for us to hear the voices of our students, staff, and families. The feedback we receive helps us to celebrate what we are doing well and to identify areas where we can continue to grow and improve together as a school community. I invite all families to take part in this year’s survey. Your input is valued and makes a real difference in shaping the learning environment and experiences we provide for our students.  The link for the surveys has been emailed to all families. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.

We will finish the term with our annual Footy Day on Friday, 19th September. Students are invited to come dressed in their favourite team colours and footy gear.  We will have our Footy parade on the back oval at 9 am. 

School Calendar: Please check the School Community Calendar Page for important upcoming events. 

Wishing all our dads and father figures a very Happy Father’s Day for this Sunday. We hope you enjoy a special day with your families and know how much you are appreciated.

Take care

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal