Principal's News

Dear Parents & Parishioners,

We are thrilled to welcome you and your children to the beginning of a new school year! For those that are new to the OHR community, we beleive in only a relatively short time you will feel as though 'you're a part of the furniture'. 

As we embark on this exciting journey together, we want to take a moment to share our preparations and updates.

Classroom Setup: Our classrooms have been thoughtfully arranged to create an engaging and comfortable learning environment.  Each space is desgined to foster collaboration and creativity.  

Curriculum: Teachers have worked diligently to refine our curriculum, in line with MACS' Vision for Instruction, integrating new resources and innovative teaching strategies that cater to diverse learning styles.

Professional Development: Our staff has engaged in professional learning throughout 2024, and now 2025, equipping them with purposeful ideas and tools to support your child's learning.

Community Building:  We have planned several events and activities, some in conjuction with the Parents and Friends' Association (PFA), aimed at strengthening our school community, encouraging connections among students, parents and staff.

We beleive that communication is key to a successful school year.  Please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher/s with any questions you may have.  Additionally, keep and eye on our school's newsletter for important updates and events.

Teamwork

While the school staff officially resumed on Tuesday, many had returned throughout the month of January to prepare for the exciting term ahead.  The 2024 MACSSIS data reflected that our staff attained an incredibly high score against ‘School Climate’.  School Climate is larger than any one person’s experience.  When people work together, a group process emerges that is bigger than any one person’s actions.  A comprehensive assessment of school climate includes major spheres of school life such as safety, relationships, teaching and learning, and the environment.  Put simply, school climate refers to the quality and character of school life.  It speaks volumes of the staffs' commitment to the students and parents.

The following clip from Apple TV's Ted Lasso highlights that a huge part of Ted's success is attributed to working as part of a team.  In this scene, he challenges Jamie Tart to take a step to work more together as a team, rather than as an individual.

During Tuesday's meeting we took the opportunity to formally welcome Mr Declan Gulavin, who joins the Year 5/6 team and will be working full-time, and Ms Celeste Goh who will be our Languages (Mandarin) teacher this year.

Over recent days, Ms Mary Dening and Mrs Michelle Hollow have met with each of their Prep (Foundation) children in a 1:1 environment where each child has benefitted from a personal orientation and completed some assessment tasks.  The parents also have had the opportunity to individually meet with both Mary and Michelle for a brief period of time where they have  shared valuable insights about their children.

Tomorrow, we officially welcome our Prep (Foundation) students as they commence their first day of schooling at OHR: 

Patrick B, Clara B, Jack C, Hannah C, Hannah C, Amelia E, Kiera F, Mikayla H, William H, Alannah H, Aasha H-R, Max H-L, William H, Drago J, Lucas K, Linh L, Harriet L, Imogen L, Charles M, Lachlan M, Mia N, Max P, George P, Jet S, Luke S, Amelia S, Harry S, Eliot S, Noah S, Joshua S, Will S, Alannah T, Edoardo N and Matteo W.

As always, I encourage every current family to take the opportunity to introduce yourself to any new families and make them feel ‘at home’ and a part of our vibrant school community.

2025 OHR Staff

It gives me great pleasure to provide our staffing arrangements for the 2025 school year:

Prep:   - Mary Dening (5 days)

P/1:     - Michelle Hollow (5 days)           

1/2:     - Lana Gill (3 days)/Aria Karagiannis (2 days)

2:          - Tina Hautot (4 Days)/Nick Byrne & Lana Gill (1 day)

3/4:      - Carmel Pettinato (5 days)             

               - Esther Jackson (3 days)/Penny Hansen (2 days)

5/6:      - Cara Mitchell (5 days)           

               - Katie Mackay (3 days)/Margie Maher (2 days)

               - Declan Gulavin (5 days)

 

 

Staff holding leadership positions in the school include:

Principal:                       - Frank Dame

Deputy Principal:        - Nick Byrne

REL / Learning 

& Teaching Leader:     - Nick Byrne

Mathematics Leader: - Penny Hansen

Literacy Leader:            - Lisa Canty

Student Wellbeing:      - Lisa Canty

Learning Diversity /

Pastoral Care Worker: - Lisa Canty 

Maths Co-teacher:        - Nick Byrne

Literacy Intervention:   - Meaghan King

Specialist Teachers:        

                                               - Phys Ed & Fitness: Jo Golds

                                               - Science: Stephanie Axon

                                               - STEM: Stephanie Axon                                                                                                                    - Performing Arts: Jon Bode                                         

                                               - Languages (Mandarin): Celeste Goh

Digital Technologies 

Manager:                            - Josephine Harrison

Administration Officer:    - Heather Neil

Library Technician:            - Deidre Campbell

Learning SupportOfficers:   

                                                   - Deidre Campbell

                                                   - Rosha Vincitorio

                                                   - Lana Nikolic

                                                   - Themi Manou

                                                   - Nicki Durrant

Sacrament Celebrations 2025

Make sure you visit the Education in Faith page for details of this year's sacramental celebrations involving students at OHR.  

Student Leadership 2025

Great student leadership is best defined as the development of a student’s capacities to lead others including organisational skills, presentation skills and team-building abilities.  It also refers to the development of leadership characteristics including accountability, integrity and reliability.

Leadership is demonstrated through a single act such as a student giving a verbal report at a school assembly. Great student leadership can also be shown over a long period of time as occurs when students hold leadership positions.

I take great privilege in presenting the Year 6 Student Leaders for the 2025 school year:

Current Student Medical Details

Please make sure that your child's medical information is always kept up to date.  Moving forward, you will receive an email recording the details of any attendance by your child to the Sick Bay during the day.

Parent Information Evening

Next Thursday, 6 February, class teachers will be conducting Parent Information Sessions in which teachers will outline the procedures relating specifically to their classroom and, therefore, the approach to your child’s learning during 2025.  Sessions will run for 25 minutes.  As parents and teachers share joint responsibility for the education of our children, we would expect that at least one parent attend your child’s information session.  The sessions will be conducted in your child's classroom/learning area.  At 7.00pm all parents are warmly invited to attend a special presentation in the Hall on Literacy: Ways to Support at Home by Marian Nicolazzo who is a highly regarded Literacy Consultant.  As some families have a number of children spread across various levels, the information session times will be staggered throughout the evening:

• 6.30pm: 1/2 level

• 7.00pm: Literacy - Marian Nicolazzo. To be held in the hall

• 7.30pm: 3/4 level

• 8.00pm: 5/6 level

Note:  Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the session with Marian Nicolazzo, as this is an invaluable opportunity to learn how to support your child with their literacy at home.  

Please see the Learning & Teaching News page for further details.

Mathematics at OHR

I would like to draw your attention to the article 'Mathematics at OHR: A Time of Growth', written by our Mathematics Leader, Mrs Penny Hansen.  The article examines our approach to Mathematics which is based on expert research.  Refer to the Learning & Teaching News page in this Newsletter.

Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund (CSEF)

If any families hold a current Health Care Card and are eligible for CSEF, please see Heather in the school office to obtain the necessary paperwork for completion.

Assembly

The first whole school assembly will be held this Monday 3 February commencing at 8.45am in the hall.  Parents are warmly invited to attend.

Holiday Maintenance

Hall Carpet

The carpet layers commenced  the task of taking up the old carpet in the hall over two weeks ago.  The new carpet tiles were laid last week.  Following a total of eight days work, the entire space looks and smells noticeably better.  Many thanks to the PFA for contributing more than 85% of the total cost.

Energy Makeovers

The boys from the Energy Makeovers team worked tirelessly all last week at upgrading all the lighting throughout the school.  We now have energy efficient lighting throughout the entire school, which should save us a lot of money in the long term.

New Evaporative Cooling Unit

Early last week, a new evaporative cooling unit was installed above the Year 5/6 classrooms.   This should provide some reprieve with more hot weather forecast for the early part of next week.

Wooden Cladding

The external wooden cladding surrounding the Library, and the upstairs Science & Year 3/4 building, was fully sanded down over the break and relacquered with two coats – a time intensive job!  The section of wall above the Undercroft entrance, is having similar cladding installed with the aim of tying in the two buildings.

Artificial Turf Maintenance

Xtreme Turf were here last Wednesday to complete the biannual turf maintenance, to ensure the artificial turf remains in good condition.  

2025 Parent Gatherings

Three of our families have generously offered to open up their homes to host one of this term's Parent Gatherings. These evening's are a great way of making new friendships and rekindling current friendships within the context of the host family's backyard.

Please make a note of the date(s) applicable to you.  

• Prep - Yr 2 Parent Evening: 21 February 2025 @ the Sutherland's home
• Yrs 3 & 4 Parent Evening: 21 March 2025 @ the Korda's home
• Yrs 5 & 6 Parent Evening: 28 March 2025 @ the Jackson's home

Wishing everyone a great weekend,

Frank