Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families,

It is so hard to believe that we are coming up to the last week of Term 2 - half way through the school year! This is our final newsletter for Term 2 and it gives us the opportunity to reflect upon what a truly remarkable term we have had, with just so much to celebrate at OLA. Reading the Student Self Reflections in the Semester 1 Reports it becomes obvious that the students have loved opportunities like:

• An amazing unit of learning focussed on our world and all its creations
• Grade 4 Sacrament of First Eucharist
• ANZAC Day Ceremony
• Class Assemblies and having our parents come along to support us
• Reading time and novel studies
• Meeting famous authors in the city and learning how they write so well
• Learning a new language and culture through Spanish
• Students leading School Tours
• Grade 3 Sacrament of Reconciliation
• Whole School Masses and Mini Vinnies Commissioning Mass
• Peaceful Kids and Peaceful Classrooms
• Preps in Pyjamas and Grade 1/2 Prayer Services
• Amazing excursions & incursions
• Mother's Day Breakfast and Mother's Day Stall
• Classroom Helpers
• OLA House Team Athletics Carnival at Duncan McKinnon Reserve Athletics Track
• Grade 5s meeting their potential Prep Buddies for 2026 at Prep Interviews
• Junior Mayor experience at City of Kingston for our School Captains
• Grade 5/6 Camp at Camp Wyuna in Queenscliff 
• FIRE Carriers leading National Reconciliation Week activities & acknowledgement
• iSea iCare excursions
• Working Bees
• Running Club, OLA House Team Cross Country + District & Division CC
• Swimming / District Girls Soccer and the win! / Bike Ed
• Grade 5/6 Lightening Premiership Winter Interschool Sport competitions
• Collecting items for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal
• Grade 5/6 Wakakirri Rehearsals

We cannot thank our parents enough for their commitment to these events and the investment they make in their child’s journey at OLA. Your presence and your positive support signals the value you place on your child’s learning and their school. 

In Term 3 we look forward to Milo's Birthday Party in Prep, OLA's P&F Cocktail Party, Great, Good, Gold, Grand People and Special Friends Day (G Day), Life Ed Van & Harold, Prep's 100 Day Celebration, Australian Mathematics Competition, Feast of the Assumption, Wakakirri, Book Week, Father's Day, Confirmation and Prep Prayer Services. Lots to be excited about and a good time to begin planning ahead for these events especially with the holidays fast approaching especially the dress up days!

First Eucharist

What beautiful Masses we had at OLA on the weekend - our Grade 4s made their First Holy Communion at 9am and 11am. Congratulations to all children who made their First Eucharist, an important step in your faith journey. Thank you to all children and their families for being so present, prayerful and respectful and thank you to all staff, Colleen and Fr Alan for your spiritual guidance and support. We love the stories that come out of such special moments for our students and their families. This photo on the left is of Ella holding a photo of her great, great grandmother which was taken when she was 10 years old at her First Communion in 1903, 122 years earlier! 

Annual Report to the School Community

We are proud to share our 2024 Annual Report to the School Community (ARSC). The purpose of the ARSC is to inform parents and the wider school community of the school's successes, activities, and achievements throughout the year, and to meet legislative and regulatory requirements under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) (ETR Act), the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017, Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) and the Australian Education Regulations 2023 (Cth). We not only share this document in the newsletter, but we also upload the report on our website, print a handful of paper copies and make them available at the front office and share it with our School Advisory Council.Through this process, Principals also attest to their school’s compliance with the minimum standards and requirements for school registration.

Working Bee #3

We are so grateful to the many families who have already joined us for our Working Bees so far this year and thank you to those who have rescheduled their Working Bee date if they were not able to make their rostered one.  We also had some cash donations which has contributed towards the purchase of tools and equipment as well as the top up of mulch. 

We are looking forward to welcoming families to the Term 3 OLA Working Bee on 

Saturday 2 August, 10.00am-12.00pm 

We especially welcome the following families who are rostered on:

Reports

A huge shout out to our teachers for their excellent work in this all important area of assessment and reporting. Thank you for collaborating and moderating and thank you for celebrating the children's talents, passions and interests as well as identifying where to next for each child.  

This afternoon you will receive an Operoo with instructions on how to access your nForma Parent Portal which stores your chil's reports. If you are already set up on the 'NForma for Parents' app (the same app we use for recording student absences), the report will become available for you to see when you click on your child's profile. 

If you are having any issues accessing the report, please contact the school office on 9584 9488 or email Caitlan on ctaig@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

Learning Conversations

Our Learning Conversations will be held face to face in Brigid Hall on Thursday 3 July 1.40-8.00pm. A friendly reminder that these interviews are strictly 10 minutes only (5 minutes with the parent/carer/s and teacher/s and then 5 minutes with your child joining). In order to be respectful to all, teachers will be adhering to these time limits and will remind you when the interview is coming to a close. We will also have a timer on the screen and an alert every 10 minutes.  If you feel that you still need to further discuss anything, please make an alternative time to meet. 

Our aim is to establish and maintain collaborative relationships between parents, teacher and student, regarding the student’s academic achievement, learning and wellbeing.

Please book your appointment:

• Visit www.schoolinterviews.com.au 
• Enter the event code - hgx6g (or 9yudg for children in Grade 3/4NC)
• Enter your details
• Select your child’s teacher
• Select a date and time for each child

Lamont Book Fair

We are excited to have the Lamont Book Fair onsite the week of Monday 30 June - Friday 4 July. The Book Fair will be set up in Brigid Hall. Lamont Book Fairs started in 2013. They are a Victorian owned family business. OLA families will be able to purchase books at the Learning Conversations. The Book Fair will also be open before and after school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

You can pay by EFTPOS or cash, as well as through an online portal.

Lamont Books will bring a selection of the best books they can find into the Book Fair and aim to bring joy and excitement about books and reading. On top of that, every Book sold raises funds for our OLA Library at the same time!

Volunteers

In Term 4 we will be showcasing Performing Arts at OLA with a production on the stage at Kingston City Hall. If you have any passion or skills that may help us with this exciting project please let me know in person or by email rjacques@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

We would especially love people that can sew or create to support some costume making, sourcing or organising etc

Community Illness

Over the past fortnight, various viruses and respiratory issues have been sweeping through our classrooms, leading to a spike in absences and numerous calls for children to be picked up from school. This is a fitting reminder for everyone to remain vigilant during this challenging period. Please ensure that children stay home in the final week of school if they exhibit high temperatures or cold like symptoms, to ensure this does not impact the wider class or staffing group. 

Calendar

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

SAVE THE DATE

Monday 28 July - Grandparent's and Special Friend's Day - 'G' DAY

School Term Dates - 2025

Term 3, 2025

Monday 21 July - Friday 19th September (9 weeks) 

Term 4, 2025

Tuesday 7 October - Tuesday 16th December (11 weeks)

Congratulations

Transition to Secondary School

We love the connection we have with secondary schools and the way we help our students prepare for this important transition. Kilbreda’s Acting Principal and two of our past students returned to OLA to speak with our Grade 5 girls about the changes they experienced going from OLA as their primary school to Kilbreda as their secondary school. It was especially lovely for one of our brother and sister combinations to catch up onsite too.  

Nature

A  beautiful learning opportunity captured here in a poster made at home - we are so grateful to have such curious and appreciative learners here at OLA - Well done to Rian!

Interschool Sports

We love when all the stars align and the sun is shining for the Winter Interschool Ports program. We hosted the Netball at OLA last week and the sportsmanship and skill displayed was excellent. We are proud of all our Grade 5/6 students for their engagement and active participation. 

District Lightning Premiership

We loved the spirit and enthusiasm of our Grade 5/6 students today for the Lightning Premiership. The students were outstanding and once again represented the school superbly at this carnival.  We thank the parents who have supported the students today and over the term with this program and we thank our coaches and staff. Our boys AFL Team took out the Cheltenham District Premiership. Big Congrats!

Principal Awards

Principal Awards!

We all love to receive a visit from extra proud students sharing their best work. Well done to these great writers and spellers in Grade 1, Bee Hotel makers and AFL Lightning Premiership Champions. We also visited the Prep classrooms this week and the writing was AMAZING! So many Principal and Deputy Principal stickers being presented.

Gratitude

SVDP Winter Appeal

Thank you to all families who donated non-perishable food items, beanies, gloves, scarves, blankets and toiletry items for our Winter Appeal. Our local St Vincent de Paul conference, along with our OLA Mini Vinnies are extremely grateful for your generosity. Many people in our community will benefit from these items. Items are all due in by Friday 4 July. Thank you. 

Happy Birthday

It was lovely to celebrate Fr Alan and Vino's birthday with the staff today. Both being born in June we were able to pass on our best wishes for the year ahead and thank them for their warmth, welcome, support and spiritual guidance here at OLA and in Christ Our Light Parish.

Thank you to our wonderful parent community for your continued support. Wishing everyone a restful weekend - 1 week to go! 

Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone the most wonderful holiday. We hope all who are able to take a break are able to recharge their batteries and return to us in Term 3 ready for another exciting term. Take care and stay safe these holidays. We look forward to being all together back at school on Monday 21 July (not Tuesday 22 July as previously advised).

Richard Jacques

Principal