Dear Parents and Caregivers

What a Week!

We have had an amazingly busy term with an interesting last couple of days with our current lockdown. In reflecting on all of the events that we have had this semester, I have nothing but an immense sense of pride in the students, staff and families of our school.

When I speak to students before we leave the school, I find myself falling back on something that was drilled into me by some of my key mentors and coaches, that if we lose, we lose with humility, and if we win, we win graciously. In my first year at OLA, I found that I had to explain what this meant, but now I find that the kids are able to explain this to me. To me, this means that they are listening, but I know that they hear me by the way that our students conduct themselves when representing our school. This is also a credit to you as parents who support and instil the same values into our students.

This doesn’t only apply to sport, our students are offered many avenues to explore their gifts and talents, from NAPLAN to Cluedunnit and choir, underlying it all is that there is always pride in giving your best no matter what you are doing and no matter what the result. Underpinning this are our RICE values, driving us to be better members of our OLA community. Ultimately, setting the foundation that this is all built on, is our faith and our Gospel teachings. This is the source of our character and the reason your children are enrolled in our school.

I have no doubt that in your homes your children are asking you about lockdown, COVID-19 and vaccines. My own children are asking the same things of my wife and I. I’d like to share with you a few things that we as parents have agreed to when speaking to our children.

• Keep Calm and Reassure – Always remain calm and reassure our children, they look to us for an indication of how to react to events. Our reactions are directly linked to our emotional state.
• Share – Give your children space to share their thoughts, this will help you understand how they perceive and interpret all the information that they see and hear.
• Guide and Context – When there is a news update about a vaccine causing clotting, reiterate to your children what the statistics mean, to me this is much akin to a child thinking that the second that they step foot in the ocean a shark is waiting for them. We need to bring clarity, context and guidance to what information they absorb. If we do not provide this, we end up with the child who will not step foot in the ocean, based on a misinformed point of view.
• Control – It is important to give children control of what they can as often control brings security. My own children can control factors such as their own hygiene, helping to wipe down the pews at church and asking questions when they want to understand something.
• Current events and conversation – When they want to talk, listen. I ask my children what they think a news segment means, our current lockdown is a prime example of this. It is important that children understand why we lockdown, if they don’t know, they will worry.

These points are not the be all and end all of how to handle our pandemic, and I’d love to claim them as my own, but I pulled them together from a couple of websites and just wanted to share what is working for me in my home.

(Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-how-talk-child.html and https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide/coronavirus-talking-about-distancing-and-isolation )

In his homily a couple of weeks ago, my Parish Priest spoke of conversations that he has had with many of the parents in the community, he said that although the world is experiencing such a troubling time, he had really noticed that many parents were appreciating doing something as simple as playing a game of cards or a board game with their children during a lockdown. I truly hope that we come out of this current lockdown as scheduled, but I urge all parents to continue to find time for your children. We often get caught up in making sure that we are providing as best as we can for our children but we forget that one of our most valuable commodities is time. Even this week in the playground I’ve had kids tell me that during the holidays they want to spend time with their parents.

Term 3 Important Dates

• Monday 19 July: Pupil Free Day for Students
• Tuesday 20 July: Pupil Free Day for Students
• Wednesday 21 July: Term 3 Commences for Students
• Monday 30 August: Pupil Free Day for Students
• Friday 24 September: Last Day of Term 3 for Staff and Students

Calendar

Attached is the OLA School calendar for Semester 2. Please remember that this PDF version is only updated for the beginning of the term. Please refer to the interactive calendar on the website and Weekly Updates from class teachers for the latest information on events.

OLA Calendar 2021 – Parents Terms 3-4

Winter Appeal

What a massive response we had to the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal at OLA. Thank you for your generous contributions to this collection. Our pyjama day raised $602.05 for LifeLink. Thank you for supporting those in need.

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School Merchandise Orders

Our shipment of hats, umbrellas and coffee mugs is due to arrive early in Term 3. Merchandise will then be distributed to families once it arrives.

OLA Cross Country

On Friday 18 June, all students in Pre-Primary to Year 6 participated in the OLA Cross Country. Well done to all competitors, the determination and perseverance demonstrated by all was inspiring. It was fantastic to see the OLA RICE Values in action with everyone cheering and encouraging each other along the course. Please refer to the Physical Education page of this newsletter for more detailed information.

Year 6 Winter Carnival

Our Year 6s participated in the annual Winter Carnival in soccer, netball and AFL. Once again, our students are to be commended for the way that they represented our school. Our teams had varying degrees of success with an encouraging sign being many of our students choosing to play sports that they had not tried before. Thank you to all the teachers and parents who volunteered their time to assist.

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Eagles Rock My School

We had a surprise visit from Rick the Rock Eagle and retired Eagle, Brad Dalziel. it was great to see the children so engaged in the West Coast Eagles presentation, which as well as being fun and interactive, discussed self-esteem and wellbeing, two very important topics for our students. This was a follow on to our Year 6 classes having a surprise visit from Jackson Nelson from the Eagles as well.

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NAIDOC Celebrations

Unfortunately, we have had to postpone our NAIDOC Mass this week, we will look for an opportunity in Term 3 to have our whole school celebration. In the interim, classes have been completing NAIDOC activities in class as well as contributing to a whole-school NAIDOC project for next term’s Open Night.

OLA School Disco

What a night! A HUGE thank you to the parents in Year 5 who organised our ‘Sport Disco’. We had a great turn out and the children thoroughly enjoyed the night. We are truly blessed to have been able to have our disco, culminating in the girls winning the annual OLA Year 6 Dance Off. Congratulations and thanks to all involved!

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OLA Story Slam

The OLA Story Slam will be happening over the school holidays, this is a great opportunity to help raise money for our school while reading. Students have brought home a fundraising booklet which includes their reading log and sponsorship sheets. If your child does not have a booklet please contact your teacher. If your child has been absent, the forms are attached for you.

OLA Story Slam Booklet

Farewell

This week we said farewell to Mrs Elaine Fruvall and Miss Victoria Bayer. Victoria has gained valuable experience working in our Kindergarten M class this term while Elaine leaves OLA after 18 years of service, predominantly working in our junior primary. Long-time serving staff members have seen Elaine get engaged, married and have children all while being a part of the OLA community. We wish Elaine and Victoria all the best for the future.

Term 3 Clubs

We are looking forward to our Term 3 Clubs starting, thank you to the staff who are giving up their time to facilitate these clubs for our students. Detailed information about each club will be sent out at the beginning of next term, closer to the clubs commencing.

Club	Dates/Times	Supervising Staff
Scitech	Tuesdays 3.15 – 4.15pm 27 July – 23 November	Colette Meyerkort
Homework	Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3.10 – 4.00pm	Tuesday: Michelle Simmons and Tina Ravi Wednesday: Luisa Durkin and Rebecca Smith
Chess	Tuesdays 1.00 – 1.45pm	Claire Dale
Lego	Wednesday 8.00 – 8.30am	Rebecca Smith
Choir	Thursdays and Fridays 8.10-8.40am	Mary McAuliffe, Maree Noonan and Lidia La Rosa
Minecraft	Tuesdays 8.00 – 8.30am	Jodie McCarthy & Mike Morris
Loose Parts Play	Mondays 3.10 – 4.00pm	Belinda Mitchell and Maree Noonan
Volleyball	Wednesdays 3.15 – 4.00pm	Bruno De Pietro and Ciaran Allsop
Sustainability (Years 3-6)	Mondays 3.10 – 4.00pm	Simone Taylor

Faction Shields Update

Thank you to all of the students who submitted their designs for our new OLA Faction Shields at the beginning of the term. The process continues to progress with all staff now providing their feedback before sample designs are streamlined for each individual faction. The designs will then be sent to a graphic designer for feedback. Although the process is long, it will definitely be worth it in the end. Watch this space for more updates next term!

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

In August, we will be submitting our data for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, schools have an obligation to ensure that students with disabilities are able to access and participate in school on the same basis as their peers. To ensure this, students with disabilities may receive adjustments or support, depending on their functional needs, to access and participate in education.

Parents, guardians and carers have an important role in their child’s education. They work collaboratively with the school to ensure that the school understands their child’s needs and those appropriate adjustments are made to enable access to education.

The NCCD is an annual count of students who are being provided with adjustments to address disability. The attached PDF and link below will provide more information about the collection. (NCCD 2020, As a parent, guardian or carer, what do I need to know?, https://www.nccd.edu.au/wider-support-materials/parent-guardian-or-carer-what-do-i-need-know)

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data Fact Sheet

ICAS Assessments Years 3-6 (optional)

This year, OLA will be offering students in Years 3-6 the opportunity to participate in the annual ICAS Assessments. Assessments will be offered in Mathematics, English, Science and Writing. The attached letter explains the process involved with purchasing the assessments for your child, how you can make payment, how the tests will be administered and the permission slip.

ICAS Parent Letter and Permission Form

 

We wish you all a happy holiday and if you are travelling, drive safe.

Thank you.

Michael Morris and Rebecca Smith

The OLA Leadership Team