School Routine Reminders

Drop Off between 8:30am and 8:40am. Children must only access the playground or classroom from 8:35am, as the playground is unsupervised before then.
Pick-up between 3:15pm-3:30pm. If you are running late please contact the office.
Late arrivals to sign in using PASSTAB at the front office before heading to class.
Bike/Scooter Shed - if the shed is locked at the start or end of the day please collect the gate key from the front office. A reminder that bikes and scooters are to be pushed/walked when entering and departing the school grounds/car parks.
Sports Equipment - To help prevent balls from going missing or being kicked into neighbouring properties, students are not permitted to bring their own sports equipment to school. We update our equipment regularly and have purchased new sports equipment for this very reason. If your child is required to bring a ball for training before or after school, it is to be handed to the classroom teacher when the bell goes in the morning and collected at the end of the day. If your child's ball or hat or jumper goes over the fence then we ask you the parents to pop around the corner and knock on the neighbours' door and ask to see if they can get it for you. Often the neighbours return the ball or item when they are next outside. If your child is wishing for sport equipment to be different then I encourage them to speak to a House Team Leader who organise this with our PE teacher Mrs Thompson.
Emails/Communication are always welcome, however, we find a brief exchange at drop-off or pick-up can often address any matters promptly. The priority for staff members at OLA is the welfare and education of all students at our school. Staff are unable to respond to emails and telephone calls instantaneously. They will, however, ensure that they attend to all correspondence within a reasonable timeframe (24-48 hour turnaround). Parents are also reminded that a response to communication should not be expected outside normal working hours, or during school holidays, unless it is an emergency. Thank you for your support and understanding with these expectations.
Ways of Working - At the beginning of the school year and throughout the school year we provide reminders to our community on ways of working at OLA. This is one way that we work together to create a respectful, inclusive and safe environment for all at OLA. These reminders are provided at parent workshops, assemblies, newsletters and in Operoo communications. Our OLA website is also a great platform to locate important documents and Policies and Procedures for OLA. These policies can be found under two tabs on the website: Our School and Child Safety.
Important reminder to families that when there is a friendship/relationship issue or any kind of issue between your child and another child or family at school that you are to contact the school directly via a phone call or email. We ask that the emails be two sentences or less and we will be back in touch within 24-48 school working day hours. For example, “Dear X, My child has come home today feeling really sad about a friendship at school. I am available on xx to meet or speak with you about this. Kind regards. X” The school will then manage the situation. The following is reiterated in the Parent/Guardian/Carer Code of Conduct (see attached): Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to:
approaching a child that is not your own with a view to disciplining that child for their behaviour (such matters are only to be dealt with by school staff)
approaching other school parents to resolve issues arising between students at school (such matters should be referred to school staff)
any form of threatening language, gestures or conduct
language or conduct which is likely to offend, harass, bully or unfairly discriminate against any student, employee, contractor, volunteer or other
WWCC - Working With Children Check - OLA is committed to providing a child safe environment and takes active steps to ensure any person authorised to conduct ‘child connected works’ or ‘child related works’ does not pose a risk to their safety or welfare. To achieve this, the school requires a Working With Children Check (WWCC), to assess and verify their suitability. It is the responsibility of non-teaching staff, volunteers and visitors to:
Apply for and receive a WWCC prior to expressing an interest to participate in ‘child connected works’.
Provide OLA with a valid WWCC card prior to commencement. This needs to be shown and registered at the front office upon receipt.

Thank you all for working together to keep OLA a safe and happy place to be.

2025 School Fees and Levies

We have had many Direct Debit forms completed which we greatly appreciate. For those yet to complete it, please fill in the direct debit form for school fees, and either email to accounts@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au or hand in at the school office ASAP. Please also see below the school's bank details.

If you would like support with fees and would like to discuss alternate payment plans please make a time to meet with the Principal.

Uniform

A timely reminder of our high expectations in regards to School Uniform here at OLA. We have many balls in the air so let's be mindful not to drop this one. Please ensure your child only wears blue or black hair ties and ribbons. A simple chain necklace is welcome to be worn under the children's uniform and studs or sleeper earrings only. No bracelets/anklets/nail polish please - they are a treat for the weekend/holidays. Please also ensure white socks with sports uniform only and no logos and navy blue socks with our regular school winter uniform. Please support us as we place a press on this important aspect of school life. Taking pride in our uniform/dress is a lesson and learning for life.

Black School Shoes

Black school shoes are now available at Bob Stewart Mentone. Please note that black sneakers/runners with synthetic upper and white soles are NOT part of the regular school uniform. Black leather upper and black soled sneakers, without highlighted logos, are acceptable shoes to wear with the school uniform.

Sharing Photos on WhatsApp

The purpose of the OLA Parents & Friends Association WhatsApp groups is to provide an online community for the parents throughout their journey at Our Lady of the Assumption Primary School. All year levels are connected via a ‘WhatsApp chat group’. The P&F's goal is for parents to have a forum for positive and helpful discussion, share tips and updates on school events and information that will help you and your family throughout the school year. We are working on some shared expectations around the use of this important form of communication. At this stage we ask all parents to be mindful of not sharing photos/videos from special events such as Athletics Day, Mother's Day Breakfast and excursions. While we understand the intent is thoughtful for those parents not able to attend we have a duty of care to each child and their family not to share photos in a public setting like this. These photos not only appear in WhatsApp but they also download onto the user's photo album. If you take photos at an event for a specific parent/family then please share directly with that family and not in a whole group setting like WhatsApp.

Phones and Smart Watches

A reminder to all families that mobile phones are to be placed at the office as the children arrive at school and collected from the office at 3.15pm. If your child wears a smart watch then it needs to be disabled during the school day/in class mode or left at the front office. We ask that messages to parents/carers on phones are to be sent inside the office area only rather than on the yard or on the walk home - for their own safety and the safety of others phones must remain in your child's school bag until they are inside the office area. What is transpiring is that children have been seen on the yard huddled around a phone and even taking photos, so we thank you in advance for your support with this.

Car Park

A reminder to all families to take it gently in our OLA Car Park and to remember that the safety of all in our community needs to be the focus of this space. If you are pushed for time I would encourage you to come up with Plan B.

Key enrolment dates for Grade 5 students in 2025 starting Year 7 in 2027 :

Tuesday 28 January 2025 – Applications will open for students commencing Year 7 in 2027.
Friday 15 August 2025 – Applications will close.
Friday 29 August 2025 – Date by which principals must exchange their full list of applications with neighbouring colleges, including parish of residence.
Friday 12 September 2025 – Date by which principals must exchange their full list of applications with neighbouring colleges, identifying proposed offers and non-offers.
Friday 9 October 2025 – The Principals and Registrars Enrolment Briefing will be held at the Catholic Leadership Centre from 12.30 to 3.00 pm.
Friday 17 October 2025 – Offers will be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.
Friday 7 November 2025 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.

Attendance and school start/finish times

Please ensure that your child/ren arrive for school on time (between 8.30am and 8.40am - not before 8.30am) each day and that you are at school to collect your children at 3.15pm. There are staff members on duty from 8.30am – 8.50am each morning and after school until 3.30pm. If you are running late to pick up your child (after 3.30pm) please contact the office as soon as possible. Please try and arrange appointments and activities around school times to minimise distractions in the classrooms and please do not be taking children out of school during assembly on a Friday afternoon - the children presenting are using all the courage they can so they do not need any other distractions.

It is important that your children are on time every day. Children who are late miss out socialising with their classmates and can have trouble settling in and mastering routines. Being late can throw off their whole morning or even their day, especially if the late commute to school was stressful. Children arriving late also interrupt their teachers and the learning and teaching of all the other children in their class.

On those occasions when you are running late to school, parents or guardians need to accompany their child/ren into the School Office where they sign in their child on the Pass Tab iPad for each child. Parents taking children early prior to 3.15pm must also enter via the School Office and complete the same process.

Reporting absence and late arrivals

If your child will be absent or late for school you will need to advise the office of an explanation for your child’s absence by 8.45am. This is a legal requirement and should be attended to as a matter of priority.

Parents/carers can mark child absences directly on the 'nForma for Parents' app. You can still email us at attendance@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au if you have any issues with the app. Any child marked as an unexplained absence by 9:30am will trigger a text message to be sent to the relevant parents/carers. It is then the responsibility of the parent/carer to contact the school ASAP to confirm your child's reason for absence.

Being Safe Online

As a school community the safety and wellbeing of our students is always our priority.

An issue has been brought to our attention from a number of sources, in regards to some senior level students using Snapchat groups. Students love to chat to their friends after school hours and how the students use internet and technology in your home is your decision. We know a lot of you have already set in place clear rules and guidelines for your children and this is fantastic. Please use this as a teachable moment to have a conversation with your child about their communication and accounts. We also encourage you to have a conversation with your child about what to do if they see something online that upsets them or if they feel someone is being treated unfairly.

All social media platforms (including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Discord and Tik Tok) have a minimum age of 13 that is clearly outlined in the terms of service. Irrespective of the age rating mentioned in the App Store, 13 years is the mandated minimum age whether or not they have parental permission.

Please also be mindful that our past experiences have also seen examples where students have multiple accounts (one that parents are aware of and one or more you may not be aware of). Further information about specific social media platforms, as well as games and apps, can be accessed via the parent eSafety Guide (Australian Government eSafety Commissioner).

Please reach out to us if you have any further questions or concerns. We thank you for your support.

Security of OLA grounds and buildings

In consultation with the police, our neighbours and members of our community we lock the pedestrian gates at the close of business each weekday as well as over the weekend with the gates being opened at the start of each school day and for Mass. This decision has been made for the safety and wellbeing of all in our community. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Richard Jacques

Principal

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