Principal's Message

Dear OLA Families,

Woohoo! What joy we were able to witness yesterday as the 2022 OLA Building Project was handed over to the school.  For the first time the children, parents and staff were able to step through the gates and go into class without having to walk right around the back of the Admin Building and then into class!  The 5/6 children and their teachers have been extra patient with this as they had to track many extra steps to get to their classes - their new route has brought much relief! We are so lucky to have had these renovations completed at OLA.

The renovations are complete and we now are beginning to move into our new OLA Community Hub. This hub includes 2 brand new staff/parent bathrooms, an archive room, Literacy and Mathematics Resource Rooms, Library Office, Teacher Resource Room, Community Room, Library, STEM Room, outdoor deck from Library with accompanying mural and an outdoor learning space equipped with stage, tables and chairs and surrounded by gardens and trees. 

We are so grateful to Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS), Smith + Tracey our architects, and Jardon Group our builders for their support and hard work over this project.  We have very much enjoyed a positive relationship and to have our project delivered on time is so exciting.

The children loved having a sneak peak and tour of these new spaces yesterday.  We can’t wait for the furniture to be delivered around 20 November and for an official opening before the end of the school year. Thank you to all our community for your patience and for your excitement.

Our local Member of Parliament Nick Staikos visited OLA to catch up on all the exciting renovations. The School Captains enjoyed leading him on a tour to see how the amazing grant from the Victorian Government had helped us. Alessio in Grade 4 said out loud that he thought we had got a lot for our 2 million dollars and it was worth every bit!! We are so grateful for this support and thank Nick for the care and interest he shows to our community.

World Teacher Day - Friday 28th October

Today we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. This is a day where we recognise the contributions that our teachers, and our many other valued team members make to our children and to our community. We thank all teachers and school staff for their care for our children, for juggling the demands of all that they do within their roles and with their own lives.  

Fete

Less than a month to go! We can't wait to have our OLA community all together on Saturday 26 November from 9am to 3pm.  Thank you all for your support in the lead up to this exciting event.  We hope each and every family can come along and bring friends, family and neighbours with them too.  We are grateful for donations for things like: the various hampers, cake frosting/icing for the cupcake making stall, lollies to decorate the cupcakes, preloved books, toys and clothes, jams and preserves, jam for scones, plants to be sold and the list goes on… We hope you are able to get online to book your early bird wristbands for the rides.  We thank our sponsors…

Bees

Over the last couple of weeks we have cordoned off an area under the trees at the main gate where a hive of bees formed.  This hive grew rapidly and then with the rain we hoped they might find a new and safer home in the local area. As this did not happen we were proactive in having Kevin from Save the Bees Melbourne come to remove the bees and find them a nice new home at a farm out of the community’s way.

2023 Class Formation

We are so excited to see how word of mouth, the work of our teachers and the deep sense of community have all assisted in building the reputation of OLA over the last 3 years.  We have grown from 18 children coming into Prep to 36 this year to approximately 45 in 2023! This growth is very exciting and very positive for OLA.

The staff, Leadership Team and School Advisory Council have been in consultation over class structures and numbers for 2023 and beyond. We have researched and spoken  with experienced educationalists and parents, and have determined a grade structure that will best support the needs of students and the school over the coming years.  We have agreed on the following class structures:

2023 Enrolments per level:  (as at 28.10.22)

 (Please place in table)

Multi-level Classrooms

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to speak with a few of our new families about class structures at OLA and together we believed it was timely to once again share some of our work and research around our multi-level classrooms.  In 2020 we worked as a staff and with the students and community to grow our understanding of multi-level classrooms. Karilyn Gumley who is a passionate leader in learning and teaching at MACS worked as a consultant with OLA to create a shared understanding of the pros and cons of multi-level classrooms. At OLA we believe in making the best decisions for our students and our community.  We believe multi-level learning environments can…

• Strengthen Confidence - Multi-level grouping provides younger students with the opportunity to observe, emulate, and imitate a wide range of behaviours; older students have the opportunity to assume responsibility for less mature and less knowledgeable students.
• Offer wider Friendship opportunities - In a smaller school a multi-level setting offers children greater opportunities to build relationships across age levels and within levels. Research indicates that this builds resilience and the ability to form friendships across the school learning community.
• Support academic success - Students in the lower grades can enrich their learning by attending to the material designed for the higher grades, while students in the higher grades can profit from opportunities to review the material designed for lower grades. Research also demonstrates that learning is reinforced when a peer is able to share and articulate their learning with others.
• Balance diverse learning needs - A  multi-level construct offers the opportunity for greater ability to balance out the demands of various learning needs if a particular cohort is challenged.
• Enhance the Teaching and Learning environment by providing greater access for the zone of proximal development - Current concepts of cognitive development (for example, the zone of proximal development and cognitive conflict) imply that children whose knowledge or abilities are similar but not identical can stimulate each other’s thinking and cognitive growth.
• Strengthens community - We see a positive flow on from the mixed classes within the community feel of school, with families across year levels having friendships and then able to work as a team on school wide initiatives and socially.

 As a staff we have developed our vision for what we understand and believe that multi-level learning environments offer for our students: At OLA, children are at the heart of everything we do. We believe a multi-level learning environment allows for flexibility and differentiation in learning and teaching. We are committed to embedding the pedagogical practices that will support a range of learning results. We provide opportunities to build relationships, resilience and develop a range of social connections.

As you can imagine it was a complex process and decision and I understand that you may wish to seek further clarification.  Please feel free to contact me at any time and I will happily discuss this further with you. I have attached a couple of articles that supported us in this process:

Multi-age Learning and Teaching QLD 

Why Multi-Age classrooms aren’t something to dread

Class Placements 2023

Thank you to the families who reached out and made appointments to meet with me throughout October to discuss your hopes and concerns for your child in relation to their wellbeing and learning.  This information assists the Wellbeing Team and staff to make the best choices of class placements for 2023.  We also appreciate the trust that families place in us to make the best decision for your child/ren. Throughout November we dedicate time to allocating children to classes for 2023 and in turn we finalise staffing for the coming year. Classes and teachers are confirmed and shared at the Grade 1-5 Orientation Day which will be held on Thursday 8 December.

OSAC

I take this opportunity to thank Jaime Picinic and Joanne Hansen for their service to the OLA community as active members of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Primary School Advisory Council (OSAC) over the last 3 years. The experience and expertise that you both have provided OLA is very much appreciated. We especially appreciate you both being at the end of the phone for advice and support. Thank you Joanne for your exceptional role as Secretary of OSAC for the last 2 years. We know you will both continue to be great advocates for our wonderful school and that you will find new and exciting ways to remain connected.

As two vacancies have become available on OSAC, we are calling for nominations to fill these positions. Please find attached on the OSAC tab, the OSAC Membership Nomination Request, which contains detailed information regarding the role. Also please note the application closing date of Monday 14 November. We look forward to securing two new members for our Council.

OLA Parents & Friends Association

We thank our 2022 P&F and Fete Committees for their support of our great school. This year has seen a large focus on the Fete and we are grateful for everyone’s work as we lead up to the big day.  Please know your active support is very much appreciated. We have also loved the social events organised in the different year levels and the support the P&F representatives give their level when there is a need for support for a family, a child or a staff member.

If you would like to be part of helping our school community next year and adding to our wonderful sense of community, please consider joining the 2023 P&F Committee. It is a great way to contribute to the development of the school and meet other parents.

Each year level requires two parent representatives, who are responsible for updating the parents in their year level with important information/reminders, and organising a couple of events throughout the year. For example, the Grade 1 P&F representatives host the Morning Tea for new and current families on the first day of school.

Feel free to chat to this year's P&F members if you would like some more information or, better still, if you would like to get involved. You can also speak with me in person or email any questions or ideas to principal@olacheltenham.catholic.edu.au

Thanks again for your support and commitment to our school community.

Prep 2023 Parent Information Evening

We are excitedly preparing to welcome our 2023 Prep families and students for the Orientation program. This program continues to be a highlight of the year, as these children take their first big steps into school life. While some students already have a sibling at OLA, we cannot underestimate how this can still be quite an overwhelming experience as the children transition away from a very small Kinder/Childcare setting into a significantly larger one. For our new (and not so new) Prep parents, we look forward to welcoming you on Thursday 10 November at 7.30pm. This information evening is a wonderful opportunity to meet new families, teachers and key staff who will work with your children.  

Our Prep 2023 Orientation Sessions are as follows:

• Tuesday 15 November 9:00am-10:00am
• Tuesday 22 November 9:00am-10:00am
• Tuesday 6 December 9:00am-11:00am

Working Bee

Our next Working Bee will be held on Saturday 19 November, 10.00am-12.00pm. Job lists will be provided outlining the various tasks to be covered that morning and we will be focused on preparing the school grounds and buildings to look their very best for our Parish Fete. We encourage parents with wheelbarrows, shovels, brooms, rakes etc to bring them along for the morning.   The following families are rostered on for this term (please note if you are not able to attend you are welcome to make a donation to the school for maintenance):

School Closure Days  

Please note the School Closure Days as scheduled for Semester 2, 2022.  

Monday 31st October - Assessment & Reporting Day 

Tuesday 1 November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Thursday 1 December - Staff Planning Day for 2023

Key Dates for the End of School Year

2023 Dates

Congratulations - We are so proud of our…

Grade 6 Confirmation candidates

Congratulations to our Grade 6 students who proudly made their Sacrament of Confirmation last Tuesday 18 October. Supported by Bishop Tony Ireland, Colleen Gleeson, Fr Alan, Mrs Taig, the Grade 6 classroom teachers and staff, our families enjoyed a beautiful celebration with the children. Well done, Grade 6, for taking the next step in your Sacramental journey.

OLA Volleyball Team

Congratulations to our Grade 6 Boys Volleyball Team who represented OLA at the District competition. What a fantastic effort to have made it to the final. We are so proud of you all and we love that you got Mr B into one of your photos!

District Athletics

Will C in Grade 6 represented OLA at the Regional Athletics Championships on Wednesday 19 October. We are proud of you giving 100% Will.  Will said, "My time at the athletics was amazing! I went through for 100 and 200 metres. Regionals was a very cool experience as we competed against people from schools that I've never heard of before. I came 5th for 100 metres and that was the best I have ever come. Overall I think I did pretty good and was proud of myself achieving this in my last year of school."

Matthew R in Grade 5 represented OLA at the Regional Athletics Championships on Wednesday 19 October. Congratulations to Matthew who competed in the 11year old multi class and he came: 1st in 200m, 2nd in 100m, 2nd in shot put. Matthew now progresses to the State Championships on 2 November in all 3 events! Good luck Matthew from all of us here at OLA.

Students Outstanding Work

We love the visits we receive from our students who are proud to share their work with us.  Everything from fairy bread to playdough and projects on inspirational people to writing that includes gn and kn sounds!  These are super special visits for us.  We even had three magicians visit to share their magic card tricks!

Mrs Milinksi 

What a great moment it was yesterday for Prep KM! Mrs Milinski popped in to see her much loved class and they enjoyed some precious time together chatting and catching up. So wonderful to have you at OLA Mrs Milinski. You are constantly in our prayers and thoughts as is Mrs Mulcahy who has recently undergone heart surgery and is now recovering at home. Two great women needing our prayers and thoughts.

Speaking of great women, I follow Maggie Dent and in this last week she has recommended these two books for supporting children in developing a growth mindset and positive self talk:

Thank you all for another great week at OLA.

Wishing you the most amazing long weekend and may that sun peak through the clouds for us too! Take care.

Richard Jacques

Principal