Principal's Piece 

Term 1, Week 9

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Last week we acknowledged and celebrated Catholic Education Week. The theme this year Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Is 60: 1). Our Year 6 student leaders attended the St. Patrick’s Day Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral with Mrs Glouftsis and Mrs Murray. It was an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity and the important role we play as Catholics within our local community. Over 2000 students and staff joined Archbishop Peter to celebrate the feast of St Patrick and to witness the unveiling of a new icon – the first painted image of the saint to be displayed in the cathedral. Needless to say our school leaders represent our school with  reverence and enthusiasm. 

As part of Catholic Education Week, the Creative Arts Exhibition was held at MACS office. Each year we enter artwork from our very talented students and 6 of our students' artwork was selected to be on display during the exhibition.  Congratulations to : Nora Rai (4B) The City of Bethlahem, Carolyn Toma (4A) Light of Mary Mother and our past Year 6 students Jonathan Jude, Aarav Bahri, Anastasia Ramondetta and Melak Daddo, Zest of Life.  

We are so proud of  our students and their creative achievements and very grateful for the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents within the broader Catholic education community.

This year, we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, a time to reflect on our faith, our aspirations, and the positive change we can bring to our community. We all play an important role in inspiring hope in our students, fostering a sense of optimism and encouraging them to dream big. This year we are creating a Hope Tree, in our foyer as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope. Each staff member and students will contribute to our display by writing what they hope for:  My hope is... or I hope for... This is a  meaningful reflection for us all to think about ‘hope’ and what it means to us. We hope to have our display completed by the end of term.

After over 20 years of dedicated service,  Julie has decided it’s time to retire and enjoy more time with her beautiful family and continue on her  travel adventures. Julie has made an incredible impact on our school, touching the lives of countless students, staff, and families. We are incredibly grateful for her contributions and wish her all the best in this exciting new chapter of her life. 

Our Year 5 students had an amazing three days at Don Bosco Camp, filled with exciting activities such as beach games, the much-loved gaga pit, and adventurous night walks. It was a time of learning, friendship, and fun, and while both students and teachers returned exhausted on Friday, they also came back with wonderful memories to cherish. Camps are always a great opportunity for students to experience something different and at times come out of their comfort zones. Thank you to parents for supporting the school camp educational program and to our staff who took time away from their own families and personal commitments to support our students and ensure they had a positive and memorable experience. 

Our Buddies Picnic was a fantastic night for our Year 6 and Prep students and families. It was great to see the bonds between our oldest and youngest students grow as they enjoyed a fun night of tunnel ball, buddies handshake and dancing. Thank you to everyone who made this event so enjoyable!

Last week, our students had the incredible opportunity to experience the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Jams for Juniors incursion right here at OLPS! The gym was transformed into a musical wonderland as six talented MSO musicians, led by the dynamic Karen Kyriakou, introduced students to the sounds and instruments of the orchestra.

A highlight of the session was exploring the vibrant and dramatic music of Carmen by Georges Bizet. Students were captivated by the bold melodies and rhythms, discovering how different instruments work together to bring a piece of music to life. They didn’t just listen – they became part of the performance! With non-tuned percussion instruments in hand, they enthusiastically played along, responding to the music with energy and excitement. It was an unforgettable experience that brought orchestral music to life in a fun and engaging way. A huge thank you to the MSO team for making this possible and inspiring our students to appreciate and participate in the world of music!

Another successful Athletics Day. A huge thank you to all the parents, grandparents and extended family and friends  who came along to cheer on their children. Our students displayed incredible enthusiasm and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. It was fantastic to see them cheering on their peers, giving their best effort in every event, and celebrating each other’s achievements. 

Thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who helped make the day run so smoothly:

Natasha Rodrigues, Elshew Ashute, Simone Ciancio, Maryam Aprem, Sandra Vella, Fiolomena El-Darwich, Salote Gaetano, Chris and Jess Eggins, Anthony Cook, Brendan Barnes, Jessica Price, Kaita Mallouhi, Maricar Pastor, Bianca Zugaro, Dee Gangi, Sanja Spasovski, Sue Christodoulou, Tara Anderson, Rose Kumatse.

Congratulations to Kolbe house for being our 2025 winners 

with 2129 points. 

The results from this year's Athletics Day were: 

1st  - Kolbe - 2129 points

2nd  - Samartian - 2105 points

3rd - Teresa - 2029 points 

4th  - Romero - 1995 points 

As we approach Easter, we take time to reflect on its significance. Next Friday at 11.30, our school community will come together for an Easter walk through the school and Liturgy at the church. This is an opportunity to pause and remember the message of hope that Easter brings. Parents are welcome to attend the pilgrimage walk and liturgy. 

We are excited to invite our mothers to our annual Mother’s Day Breakfast! This special event is a wonderful opportunity to share breakfast with your children and celebrate the amazing mothers and mother figures in our lives. Our Mother’s Day breakfast days will be Monday 5th May (Romero/Teresa) and Tuesday 6th May ( Kolbe/ Samaritan). The cost will be $10.00 per adult ticket, part of which will be donated to Breast Cancer Research and student tickets are free.  Breakfast will start at 7:45- 8:40am on both days.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please clink on the link to make a donation : National Breast Cancer Donation

Unfortunately, due to space limitations the breakfast will be for mothers and school age children, we are unable to accommodate for toddlers. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to sharing this morning with you! 

Bookings to be made vis CompassTix using this link:  Mother's Day Booking Link

PLEASE NOTE: For catering purposes, bookings will close Wednesday, 30th April. 

Mother’s Day Stall: If your child would like to purchase a gift, the Mothers  Day Stall will be operating on Friday 9th May. Cost of each gift is $5.00. Please bring money on the day. Students may have the opportunity to purchase another gift, once all children have purchased one. 

Prep Enrolments 2026 will close on 19th May. If you have a child intending to commence school next year, enrolment forms are now available on our website.  Please finalise your enrolment in order to secure your child a place. https://www.olps.vic.edu.au/prep/

As we are coming towards  the end of term, I would like to thank all our families for your continued support and involvement in our school community. Wishing you all a wonderful break and a joyful Easter.  

Have a lovely weekend 

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal