Dear OLA Families,

We all have enjoyed a calm and happy start to 2024. Thank you to our staff for maintaining such high standards and expectations whilst creating a caring and kind environment. The one on one meetings between students and teachers continued to prove to be time well spent in forming positive relationships, easing back into life at school and capturing where each student is with their learning and where they need to go to next. We sincerely thank our staff and parents for supporting and preparing our students so well for their return to school. The classrooms and learning areas are looking so organised, clean and fresh and the displays are bright and engaging. I would like to especially acknowledge our staff, who worked over the summer break to prepare their classrooms/learning spaces and complete the many administrative requirements for the start of the school year.

It is so lovely to see the children of OLA back together with such a strong sense of belonging and pride. It is great to see them taking pride in the way they learn, listen and in the way they present themselves. We prioritise positive relationships, connections, being kind and giving our best.

The positive relationships that staff model to each other, to the children and to the community and vice versa is contagious. In particular, our Grade 6s excelled in their first week and we are very much looking forward to working closely with them across the various leadership groups. We could not be more impressed with the level of leadership displayed by these students - including being such supportive and fun buddies! We look forward to our senior students continuing to shine in the weeks to come. May 2024 be a year where our students and families have many opportunities to connect and where friendships grow.

We have taken great joy in welcoming our new Preps to OLA. Each year our ‘preppies’ bring a delightful sense of excitement and enthusiasm to our community. Our beautiful Preps have managed their first week at school with an amazing calmness and keenness to take in everything! The feedback from all staff has been overwhelmingly positive - they have adjusted to school life so quickly and confidently. Supported by Mrs Harrison, Mrs Berley and Miss Jones, the Preps' readiness to embrace the full school experience has been quite exceptional. When we do have some tired tears we have very much appreciated the quick goodbye and we always endeavour to follow up with a call to reassure families when your child has settled into their day.

Thank you to our Grade 1 parents for organising such a scrumptious Welcome Morning Tea for all our new families. It was a great success and a lovely opportunity for new and current parents mingle with each other.

Welcome

We are excited to be adding two extra classrooms this year and we have taken enormous delight in welcoming the following staff members to our OLA team:

Lou Watts (Indonesian)

Eliza Jones (PEJ)

Emma Tiberi (1ET)

Emilie Brady (2EB)

Fintan O’Connor (3/4FO)

Michael Glennon (5/6MG)

and welcome back Mark Buccilli (5/6NC on Fridays)

We also welcome to OLA:

School Psychologist - Katrina Brzozowska

and our new OSHC partner - TheirCare

Canteen - Fun Fresh Food

to our school community.

Along with our new Prep families, we extend a warm welcome to our new families joining us from Grade 1 - Grade 6 in 2024:

Tyler - Grade 5NC

Maddison - Grade 3TR

Emma - Grade 5MG

Luke - Grade 3GO

Pippa - Grade 3TR

Skylar - Grade 2EB

Milla - Grade 3TR

Chloe - Grade 5SP

Ella - Grade 3TR

Arya - Grade 3TR

We are thrilled to have you all as part of our OLA community and we look forward to getting to know you this year.

Opening of Year Mass

We thank Fr Alan, Vino from our Parish and Caitlan for working together to create a very special memory in the form of our Opening of School Year Mass, Staff Commissioning and blessing of Grade 6 leadership badges. I just wanted to thank everyone for helping make it a lovely Mass. Congratulations to all the children for being so calm, settled and prayerful. Our proud staff were commissioned for an exciting year ahead.

Information Night

What a great way to start our year! Our Information Night saw many families take up our babysitting option and many of our parents join us to hear about our vision for the year ahead as well as providing feedback to the school on what the school is doing to meet the needs of their child and what we could do even better. We weill share this with our Reviewer later later this term and reflect upon our practices. The parents then eagerly moved into their child’s classroom to hear from their child’s classroom teacher about learning and wellbeing for the year. The slide shows from the Principal and the classroom teachers will be shared with you today.

School Closure Day - Monday 12 February

Please note we have our 4 year School Review in 2024 and as part of this important process we will be working with staff from the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools on Monday 12 February. This will be a pupil free day. These days are invaluable opportunities for our staff to receive professional learning and work together to constantly review and improve our practice here at OLA. Please note that Their Care is available for any families who need care on this day.

2025 Prep Enrolments

I know we are still enjoying welcoming our new Preps for 2024 but we also have to move our thinking to enrolments for Prep 2025!! Requests for School Tours have begun already! If you have a child or you know someone wanting to tour schools for their child, please encourage them to book a school tour online on the school website or call Sharan or Gabrielle in our front office to book a school tour. We encourage our current families to have their Enrolment Applications completed and submitted as soon as possible. It is exciting to see so many little brothers and sisters bursting to start here at OLA next year. If you are not able to make these tours, you are welcome to call to make a time that does work for you. Our first school tour is Monday 19 February at 9.15am.

Billboards

We thank Dallas, Luca, Christian, Danae, Harvey, Kobi, Chiara and Harmony for being the representatives of the many faces in our school on this years billboards and School Tour brochures. We also thank Brian Lewin and Lewin Real Estate for continuing to sponsor the five billboards dotted along Centre Dandenong Road, the Car Park and at the Wilson Street entrance. We are so grateful for this generous contribution.

New Bells and Music at end of playtimes

We have upgraded our bell system at OLA and we now have had the additon of music at the end of playtimes so that children know to stop what they are playing, go to the toilets and and have a drink before lining up when the music stops!

OSHC - TheirCare

TheirCare is providing our out of school hours care at OLA in 2024. The program will be available for all children at OLA from 7:00am until 8:45am in the morning and from 3:15pm until 6:00pm each school day. During School Holidays and Pupil Free Days such as this Monday 12 February the service will operate from 7:00am until 6:00pm. Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: www.theircare.com.au

Canteen

The Canteen is open Friday for Lunch and Recess for online and over the counter sales.

www.flexischools.com.au orders close 8.30am

Sushi orders need to be placed by 10:00pm Thursday

Over the counter cash sales at both Lunch and Recess

Cancellations need to be either texted/phoned or emailed thru to Liz before 9.30am to receive full reimbursement: Text or call Liz 0418 577 120 email liz@funfreshfoods.com

Follow us on Instagram to see what we do and what we have on offer: Fun Fresh Foods

Fees

The school fees, levies and camps are billed for the whole year at the beginning of Term 1 and are sent out on Thursday 1 February by Gabrielle McGee. If you didn't receive your statement via email please contact Gabrielle McGee, (accounts@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au). Families are welcome to pay their school fees off in a manner that best suits their needs i.e. in one annual payment, by the term, month or fortnight. BPAY is the preferred payment method, however payment can be made at the school office by EFTPOS or cash. Reminder: statements are sent out throughout the year. If you change your email address, residential address or any contact phone numbers, please let the office know.

Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund (CSEF)

If you have a Health Care Card that was current on 29/01/2024, please email Gabrielle for CSEF and Concessional Fee Rebate Application Forms. CSEF Applications close on 16th February.

Reminder

Please see the additional newsletter page, From the Office' that outlines the school expectations in regards to drop off, pick up, parent communication and other important matters. In addition please note:

Dogs - Please note that for the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community, no dogs are permitted inside the school grounds and they must not be left unattended tied up at the gates. Adult supervision and holding of the leash is so important around vulnerable places such as schools. We love dogs but we do have to take care of all members of our community.

Bikes and Scooters - Please walk bikes and scooters when moving through car park and school grounds.

Calendar

Please open the ‘Key Dates and Events’ tab in this newsletter for important dates or access the OLA Calendar here.

Please note the following changes to the 2024 Calendar:

Noting that the Kings Birthday Long Weekend is Monday 10 June the School Closure Day will now take place on 7 June (not 11 June)

End of Year Community Event now Thursday 5 December at 6.30pm (not 28 November)

Followed by School Closure Day Friday 6 December (not 29 November)

Please note on the following dates school finish early at 1pm:

Parent/Teacher Interviews on Thursday 7 March and Thursday 27 June

OLA Fete on Friday 22 November

Last day of school Tuesday 17 December

Key dates for the next 2 weeks...

Week 3 - 2024
Monday 12 Feb	School Closure Day
Tuesday 13 Feb	Shrove Tuesday - Pancakes provided by P&F
Wed 14 Feb	9.15-10.15am Mass - Ash Wednesday
	Prep Day of Rest
Friday 16 Feb	9-11am - Grade 5/6 Friday Sport
	2.30 - 3.15pm - Whole School Assembly
	5-7pm - Family Welcome Picnic

Week 4 - 2024
Monday 19 Feb	9.15 - 10.15am -School Tour
	7-8pm - OSAC Meeting
Tuesday 20 Feb	9-10am - Grade 5/6 Inform and Empower Online Session
Wed 21 Feb	Prep Day of Rest

Celebrations

Baby News

Congratulations go to Grace in 1ET on becoming a beautiful caring big sister to baby Theodore (Teddy). We congratulate Sarah and Ben on the birth of their baby boy. We hope you are all loving this precious time of cuddles and visits from your friends and families.

This has been such a great week and we thank you all for your support.

May this also be a great year for you, your families and all in our OLA community. These first few weeks are exciting and tiring all at once so it is super important that extra rest and sleep are an option this weekend. May we all get some well deserved rest!

Richard Jacques

Principal