Principal's Piece 

Term 1, Week 5

Last Friday we gathered for the first whole school Mass for the year as a school community. We also welcomed our Preps to their first school mass.  As a Catholic school, our faith underpins all that we do. We begin each day with prayer because we know that our learning, our friendships, our challenges and our successes are strengthened when God is at the centre. Coming together in celebration at the start of the year reminds us that our faith guides us in what we do.  When we  live out our school vision of being a welcoming community united by love, faith, hope, and learning, we create a strong foundation for everything we do. By grounding ourselves in positive thoughts, words, actions, and a commitment to learning, we give one another and ourselves the very best start to the school year together.

Congratulations to our Semester 1 Class Captains! These students have consistently demonstrated our school expectations through their positive attitude, responsible actions, and commitment to learning. Their leadership has already been evident in the way they support their peers and contribute to our school community. We are confident they will continue to be outstanding role models throughout the semester.

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for this week’s Parent Meet and Greet. These conversations provide meaningful insight into how your child has adjusted to the school year and the progress they have made academically so far. For our teachers, it is a valuable opportunity to connect with families and learn more about each student from those who know them best, their parents. Events like this also strengthen the connection between staff, students, and families, helping to build a strong partnership between home and school. When we nurture positive relationships and collaborate, it greatly supports student success. It was great to see parents engaging in activities at the allocated specialists areas and as a school it was a great opportunity to showcase the excellent specialist programs we offer our students. 

Last week, our staff participated in a meaningful and energising professional learning day with Maria Ruberto from Salutegenics. The focus of the day was “Reset to Resilience,” with a strong emphasis on building mental fitness for both ourselves and the young people in our care. Maria supported us to reflect on practical, strengths-based strategies that promote resilience, emotional regulation, and positive wellbeing. Throughout the day, staff explored ways to intentionally foster supportive classroom environments where students feel safe, capable and connected. Investing in our own mental fitness as educators enables us to better model and nurture these important skills in our students, strengthening wellbeing across our whole school community.

The School Advisory Council (SAC) plays an important advisory role in supporting the Principal and school leadership. It is a key forum for consultation, collaboration and shared commitment to the mission of Catholic education. Any parents who would like to join our School Advisory Council (SAC) are invited to express their interest via email to: cmancuso@olps.vic.edu.au by no later than Wednesday 4th March. 

Membership on (SAC) are in accordance with the governance guidelines of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).

It’s that time of year again for any parents who would like to be part of OLPS Footy Tipping Competition. Please follow the link to join our competition, open to all families and friends of Our Lady's. Great prizes for the winners! 

Link: https://tipping.afl.com.au/leagues/join/C7WKVSJE

Our water safety swimming program at Splash commences next week with our Year 2 students. This important program provides students with essential water safety knowledge and practical swimming skills that can help keep them safe in and around water. The program will focus on essential life skills such as floating and treading water, along with activities themed around beach, river, and home safety. It will also cover topics such as lifeguards, pool rules, and aquatic supervision. We look forward to seeing our Year 2 students grow in confidence and capability as they participate in this valuable learning experience.

Thank you to all of our parents who joined in the fun and treated themselves to pancakes at school drop-off on Shrove Tuesday. It was wonderful to see so many families taking a moment to connect and celebrate together at the start of the day.

Our students were equally excited to enjoy pancakes at morning break. Celebrating occasions like Shrove Tuesday helps us connect our faith with meaningful traditions and strengthens our sense of community as we journey together into the season of Lent.

Many of our families have reached out on how they could support our school community and honor Paul’s legacy.  As a school we have decided to donate towards Prostate Cancer and their campaign for research to find cures and treatments towards this terrible illness. We will be closing the donation page on Friday 6th March. If  you would like to donate please follow the link: : https://fundraise.pcfa.org.au/fundraisers/olps

Our Child Safety page in the school newsletter will provide you with information and updates regarding child safety at our school. Each month this year we will have a focus on one of the 11 child safe standards. This month the focus is on Child Safe Standard 1. 

This page will also provide you with any policy or procedure updates that have been added to our school website.

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have needed to change our school athletics day at SPRINT athletics track to Thursday 23rd April. 

Please check school community calendar for important dates and events. 

God Bless and take care

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal