Dear Families,

“Never allow waiting to become a habit. Life is happening now." P Coelho (adapted)

Welcome back to school for Term 4 of the school year. We all hope you have enjoyed spending time with your children during the school holidays. We have an exciting Term planned with wonderful opportunities for student learning and development. It gives us such pleasure to see the growth in our students and watching them strive toward their goals. Please continue to encourage your children to focus on their learning and get the most out of each school day.

During Term 4 all students are required to wear a school hat for outside activities. Please support us in ensuring your child has their hat each day. Removeable clothing such as hats and school jumpers must be clearly labelled.

At this time of the year it is very easy to become relaxed about wearing the correct uniform. It is timely to remind parents and students that wearing a school uniform creates an identity for a school and it is an important part of being a school student. How a school uniform is worn shows how students value being part of our school and the respect they have towards each other and members of our school community. Please ensure your child has the correct uniform and that they wear it with a sense of unity and school spirit.

The parable of the unjust judge. Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told parables when he wanted the people to understand or know something about God. This Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about being persistent in prayer. The Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), reminds us that prayer is talking and listening to God and that through prayer we keep in touch with God.

God is not like the judge in the parable, worn down by requests and pressured to respond. The judge is corrupt and unjust. God is just, truthful and loving. Jesus explains that If the unjust judge can respond to the persistence of the widow, then how much more will God listen to our prayers.

Jesus reminds us that we should not give up! Jesus understands how easy it can be for us to lose heart. We must learn to put our trust in God, because he will always do what is best for us. If we persevere in our prayer we open ourselves to the presence of God in our lives.

COHR Makes the News!

We have been working very hard on our teaching and learning in Mathematics and are starting to see some amazing results. Our school was featured in an article in The Age newspaper recently as one of the MACS schools to have shown the most growth in their NAPLAN Mathematics results. Please read the article linked below and you will see the improvement our Year 5 students have made.

https://www.macs.vic.edu.au/News-Events/2025/September/catholic-schools-have-huge-jumps-in-maths-results

Retirement News

At the end of this year, we will be farewelling two much-loved and deeply respected members of our school community as they begin their well-deserved retirements.

Karen Wakeling, our ICT Leader and Library Teacher, joined Christ Our Holy Redeemer in 2005 and has contributed enormously to the life of our school. She has been a passionate advocate for digital learning and literacy throughout her time at our school. Her dedication to nurturing a love of reading in our students and supporting staff in embracing technology in education has left a lasting legacy. Karen's creativity, kindness and steady presence in the library will be missed by students and staff alike.

Jo Cowan, our Deputy Principal, Wellbeing and Religious Education Leader, has been a guiding light in the areas of student support, faith development and leadership. Jo commenced at COHR in 2020 and has also contributed enormously throughout her time here, especially in her time as Deputy Principal and when she has taken on the role of Acting Principal at various stages. Her commitment to the wellbeing of every child and her support for families and staff has shaped our school. Jo's wisdom, faith, and leadership have been a true blessing.

Karen and Jo have had extremely extensive careers in Catholic Education taking on numerous roles in leadership, willingly sharing their passion and expertise. They have been valued and appreciated throughout their whole teaching careers and we sincerely thank them for their years of dedicated service, their passion for education, and the many ways they have enriched our community.

As they move into this next chapter, we wish them both joy, good health, and many new adventures. Please join us in celebrating their remarkable contributions as we farewell them at the end of this term.

Class Placements for 2026

In the coming weeks staff will commence planning and the process of student placement for 2026. As a team of professional educators, we aim for the best outcomes for our students to maximize their learning opportunities at the same time providing well-balanced class groupings. The social, emotional, academic, past and present behaviour issues and physical characteristics of each student are taken into consideration.

Placement of students is a collaborative process involving all staff. If a parent has a genuine concern regarding the placement of their child for next year or information that could impact on your child/children’s learning I invite you to put your concerns in writing, in a letter/email addressed to me, the principal, and forward this letter/email to me at principal@cohroakeast.catholic.edu.au by Friday, October 31st 2025.

Only concerns in writing will be considered. Please note there is no guarantee that your request will be granted as the ultimate responsibility for student placement lies with staff and the principal. We make every effort to take your concerns into consideration but we must make the best decisions of all our students. Parent input is not an invitation to request a particular teacher. Teacher placement for 2026 has not been decided at this stage. Staff placement is considered in all situations and lies with what best suits the needs of the school for the coming year. As the principal I have discussions with all staff regarding their intentions and the desired outcomes they wish to achieve. It is, therefore, not possible for parents to request a particular teacher for their child. Please also note letters received after Friday, 31st October 2025 will not be considered.

Open Classrooms

On Tuesday we had our Open Classrooms for Term 4 with a STEM-tastic extravaganza. It was great to see so many families come along to participate in a range of STEM activities. Please read the Open Classrooms page of the newsletter for more information.

VCE Students

VCE students at Salesian, Sacred Heart, Mazenod and Avila and our neighbouring secondary schools are undertaking their final exams in the next few weeks. Please remember these students and all VCE students in your prayers as they commence their examinations and come to the completion of their secondary schooling. May they be blessed with results that reward their study and efforts.

Congratulations to our past students (Class of 2020) who have received Leadership positions at their secondary schools. Xavier Arnott and Zac Booth who have been elected as Salesians School Captains for 2026, Juliette Da Campo (Faith Captain, Sacred Heart), Claudia Longano (Sports House Captain, Sacred Heart) & Christian Meddis (Peer Support, Mazenod)

School Fees

Fee Statements were emailed to families last week. We ask that 2025 fees are finalised by the end of October, if you have not organised a payment plan please contact the off.

Thank you to those families have been making regular payments. If you are having difficulty paying the fees, please reach out to me to discuss.

Hay Fever Season

Spring heralds the start of the Hay Fever season and it is important that children who are at risk of allergy attacks are prepared.

Epidemic Thunderstorm asthma is where a large number of people suddenly develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time which is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm. The Bureau of Meteorology works closely with the Department of Health to forecast the risk of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event.

Ways parents can assist their child in these circumstances are:

Follow the pollen count and weather forecasts during spring and early summer so you know what the conditions are and if a thunderstorm is coming.
Make sure your written Asthma Action Plan is up to date and includes thunderstorm advice – talk to your GP. Give a copy to the school.
If your child takes medication for allergies, please ensure this is given at the appropriate time.
Visit the National Asthma Council Australia website for information: https://www.nationalasthma.org.au
Visit the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy website: www.allergy.org.au

If your child needs Ventolin administered during school days, it must be accompanied with an Asthma Action Plan. If it is required for a short period of time, it must be accompanied by a letter from your doctor stating the dosage and duration Ventolin will be required. If it is required for longer than a month, an Action Plan must be supplied signed by your doctor. For more information, please refer to the Asthma Guidelines Australia.

Measures Christ Our Holy Redeemer will take are:

Monitoring weather events through the Bureau of Meteorology.
Monitor the Vic Emergency site for incidents and warnings, including any forecasts of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk.
Ask parents of children who suffer from asthma or asthma symptoms to have an up-to-date asthma action plan or have consulted with their doctor.
Utilise air purifiers to reduce dust, airborne particles and pollen in the air.

Reminders

Don't forget to fill in the homework survey that was sent out via nForma. We have had a great response so far. The last day for responses will be tomorrow, 17th October.

Monday, November 3rd 2025 is a School Closure Day. There will be NO SCHOOL for students on this day. Melbourne Cup Day is celebrated on Tuesday, November 4th 2025. There is NO SCHOOL for staff or students on this day. Our school office will be closed on both of these days. Monday 1st December is also a School Closure Day, focussing our staff on planning for 2026.
Combined Schools Day is on Monday - don't forget to complete the permission form on Operoo as we will be visiting Sacred Heart Primary School.

Aimee Gale

Principal

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