Learning & Teaching

Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools School Improvement Survey (MACSSIS)

Monday 1 September – Friday 19 September 2025

Check your email from ORIMA Research for log in details. 

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices. 

A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys. 

MACSSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic schools in Melbourne by the Learning Services team at MACS, in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with principals in our schools.

In 2025, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys. 

Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – MACSSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school. 

All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during or after completion of the survey. 

Once you've completed the survey, please take a screenshot of the confirmation page and email it to jreeder@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au. You'll go into the draw to win a $50 book voucher! 

Guided Family Walk

Thank you to the parents who joined us this morning on a guided walk to observe our spelling lessons in action! Guided family walks in schools offer a valuable opportunity for parents to witness teaching practices in action, fostering transparency and trust between educators and families. By observing real time learning environments, parents gain a deeper understanding of how their children are taught, the strategies used by teachers, and the school’s approach to engagement and inclusion. These walks also encourage meaningful dialogue between families and staff, strengthening partnerships that support student success both in and out of the classroom.

Tier One Data Meetings

This week, the Learning and Teaching team (Josy, Caitlan and Shelby) collaborated closely with individual classroom teachers, recognising the vital role this partnership plays in supporting student growth. These conversations create a positive and focussed opportunity to explore student data together, celebrate progress, and identify areas where targeted support or extension may be needed. By combining the expertise of both teams, we can co-develop effective strategies that are responsive to individual student needs. This partnership fosters a shared commitment to continuous improvement and ensures that every student is supported and challenged in meaningful ways.

Prep Community Walk

Our Prep students went for a community walk as part of their Inquiry unit on 'Community Connections'.  What a fun morning for our Preps being outside the four walls of their classrooms and learning so much about their local community and the special people in it. They went to the Cheltenham Library, Terry White Chemist, the Fruit Men Foodstore, Bakers Delight, Sacred Heart Opp Shop and the McKenzie-Smith Butchers. Thanks you to these wonderful people for welcoming us.

Prime Minister's Spelling Bee

Congratulations to all our Grade 3–6 students who participated in the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee during Book Week last week! The words were incredibly challenging, and we had some fantastic results. In the competition, students were challenged with increasingly complex words and needed to spell them correctly under strict time limits, testing both their spelling knowledge and their ability to think quickly under pressure. Results were based on accuracy and speed. 

We are excited to announce that Amelia F and Flynn W have progressed to the State/Territory Finals! This is an amazing accomplishment, as only the top 200 students in each state are selected. We are so proud of you!

Excellence at OLA

We celebrate achievements at OLA every day in the classroom. Outstanding achievement is celebrated at every assembly in the front of the school. Congratulations to all the students who received an award last week. 

Josy Reeder

Learning & Teaching Leader