From the Principal 

Dear Families,

Thank you

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. It has been lovely to meet some of the students and staff who have needed to work onsite this week as well as a few parents as they have dropped children off or collected some materials for home learning. I know the students onsite have returned re-energised for the term ahead and we are hopeful that all of the students are excited about the return to school in the coming weeks. The staff and I are very keen to welcome every child back and look forward to supporting them in whatever way we can.   

Well done and our very best wishes to Therese Stewart as she begins work in her new school community. I would like to thank Therese for being generous with her time to ensure there has been a comprehensive handover and transition for my start in this role. 

In the final newsletter last term, Therese kindly shared an introductory video message that I created for you. I know it was a busy time and the community was farewelling Therese, so if you missed this video I thought I would share it again, so you can learn a little something about me.  This message is for students as well as parents and carers, so I encourage you to share it with your child/children.

I am excited to be working in this community and looking forward to building positive relationships with you all. 

Student Wellbeing Survey

Yesterday afternoon at our staff professional learning meeting, one of our activities was to review and analyse the feedback from the Student Wellbeing Survey that was offered to students on September 8 (Week 9 of Term 3).  This survey provided both teachers and Learning Support Officers with specific data from students about how they are feeling about remote learning, the support they are receiving or need, their concerns, the activities they enjoy, what activities they would like to do more of and an opportunity to express how they are feeling about their friendships and connectedness. 

Staff gathered in break out rooms via Zoom to discuss what has been working well for students and what areas they could specifically target and action in response to student voices about their learning experiences. 

Some key learnings from the survey were that students are largely feeling well supported and connected but naturally they are missing being onsite with their friends and staff. They have enjoyed the variety of different activities that help them to engage in learning and were able to suggest other options that would assist them. For example, across all levels they felt it would be good to be provided with more opportunities for small group work.  I’m aware that teachers have already introduced some of the students' ideas this week and they will continue to develop them. Some of these may include opportunities for small group breakout rooms for inquiry work, conferencing for writing and other directed wellbeing and learning activities or games.

I know the staff are very dedicated and will continue to create purposeful and engaging learning opportunities for all students and we are already in the process of planning what both remote and onsite learning will look like in the coming weeks. As you can imagine, the staff are working incredibly hard and I appreciate their flexibility and dedication. I also hope that the students are feeling proud of all their efforts this year as well. 

Return to Onsite Learning

The Victorian Government has announced an incremental return to onsite learning in Term 4, with all students returning onsite by Friday 5 November. From the start of term until October 18 remote learning will continue.  From October 18 until November 4, schools will operate both onsite and remote learning as outlined below:

From October 18: 

• Foundation students return onsite three days a week, Monday to Wednesday
• Foundation students will have remote learning Thursday & Friday.
• Year 1 & 2 students will attend onsite on Thursday and Friday
• Year 1 & 2 students will have remote learning Monday to Wednesday
• Years 3-6 will continue with remote learning

From October 26: 

• all school students will return at least part-time
• On this date, arrangements for Foundation students and Year 1 and 2 students will continue;
• Year 3 to 4 will attend onsite on Tuesday and Wednesday, and remotely Monday, Thursday and Friday.
• Year 5 and 6 will attend onsite Thursday and Friday and remotely Monday to Wednesday.

From November 5:

• All students will attend onsite five days a week.

Vulnerable children and children of parents or guardians who are on the authorised provider and authorised worker list can continue attending onsite as they are doing now. Our school will continue to follow the health advice to ensure staff and students are safe onsite.  When all students return there will still be restrictions in place for various activities and parent access to school grounds.  I know the staff at OLHC are very aware of making the learning and social experience for all children a priority and teachers will continue to communicate learning plans for days when remote learning is in place as they are currently doing. 

I know our teachers are very appreciative of the support you have shown them and your children during remote learning.  We are looking forward to rebuilding the community spirit as we head towards the end of the year.

School Review

OLHC is currently undergoing its cyclical review that occurs each four years.  The Review consists of an extensive range of compliance measures including updating policies and procedures as required by the Victorian Regulation and Qualifications Authority to be approved as a registered school. The Review also provides for school self reflection and input from all stakeholders including staff, students and parents/carers.

The staff have completed the self review against criteria from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools in the areas of Religious Education, Learning and Teaching, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Management and School Community. There are also two days where the external reviewer will speak with student, teacher, and parent representatives to gain a full understanding of each group's experience at our school.  All of this information will be assessed and collated by the reviewer in the form of a report to provide us with excellent data and evidence to help build a new School Improvement Plan in the five domains listed above.  This review is timely for me as it will help me to gain many insights into OLHC from all groups in the school community that will help set the course for the next four years. I will continue to update you as this process evolves.

Newsletter

Please be aware that the school newsletter will now be published on Fridays from next week onwards. 

I hope that you all enjoy your weekend.

Warm regards

Patrick Green

Please refer to our School google calendar for events throughout the year.   

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