Harmony Day

Harmony Day will be celebrated on Monday 21 March (Week 8). Harmony Day is a celebration of our cultural diversity, a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home. Held every year in March, Harmony Day coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

At OLA, we have a diverse group of students from many different cultural backgrounds. Acknowledgement of culture and history is imperative as we live as one community, and one family. Many people migrated from all parts of the world to live in this great nation of ours. We celebrate their diversity and freedom daily and embrace their culture, customs, traditions and foods to those great nation. How many times have we eaten Asian food or eaten a pizza? Foods from around the world unite us as we sample the riches of the world in our nation.

To celebrate Harmony Day at OLA, the students may wear their family’s traditional costume, orange clothing or school uniform on this day. This is not a free dress day. The students will also be contributing towards a whole school art display and be participating in a range of activities during the day.

Due to the current world we are living in, unfortunately, we are unable to host our traditional parade, however, we will still do our best to make it a memorable day for our students. We will also be planting an olive tree to support peace movements around the world.

Looking forward to seeing the students in their traditional costumes, orange clothing or their school uniform.

Assemblies

With so many interruptions to the curriculum and so many students not present at school, it has become extremely difficult to coordinate and record assemblies at OLA. An updated schedule will be coordinated in the next couple of weeks (updated Term 2 planner) and communicated to parents towards the end of Term 1. Assemblies will be rescheduled for next term and we’re hoping that parents will be permitted to attend. If not, the assemblies will be recorded for parents.

OLA Swimming Carnival

The OLA swimming carnival will continue as scheduled, however there will be Bayswater Waves Covid protocols we will need to follow. These protocols will be sent home to all parents prior to the event.

Open Night

We are hopeful it will proceed as scheduled, however this will depend on the government’s announcement on March 30. We will advise all parents of the decision once the Premier Mark McGowan makes the announcement.

Caritas K’s Walk-a-Thon

On Thursday 31st March (Week 9) we are holding a ‘Walk-a-Thon’ at OLA to raise money for Project Compassion. Students will walk on a designated route around the school as many times as they can in the given time frame, keeping count of how many laps they do. They will then compare their distance travelled to the distances others often walk each day to school, to work, for food and for water. We hope that this will bring a sense of awareness and compassion towards those people who walk long distances for the things we often take for granted. Sponsorship forms will be sent out soon.

Swimming Lessons Postponed – Years 1-4

Unfortunately, we have been advised, by Terry Tyzack, that the pool is still being renovated and won’t be ready for our swimming lessons scheduled for Week 8, hence we have no choice but to postpone our swimming lessons, as originally scheduled to begin in Week 8. Mr Allsop will remain in close touch with the swimming school to find a suitable time for our lessons in the future. You will all be advised as soon as we are advised.

Welcome Back Mrs Meyerkort and Congratulations Ms Emily Coffey

We warmly welcome back Colette Meyerkort from her long service leave holidays.  Emily Coffey will be continuing at OLA and will be joining the Year 6 class in tandem with Sophie Webb.

COVID-19 Update

We have been recently advised those people who have been Covid + are immune for 8 weeks and don’t need to isolate if the classes go into lock down. They may continue coming to school and being educated on site. Parents are requested to keep note of when the 8 week immunity expires so that if there is a break out of the virus, they can make a decision if the children need to isolate or come to school. 

Second Week of Lent

(Week beginning Monday 14th March)

This week through Project Compassion we learn about Biru who lives in a rural village in India’s east. He lost mobility in one of his legs, after contracting polio as a child. Biru worked as a shepherd, looking after other people’s cattle, to support his wife and four daughters. Keeping up with the cattle was a challenge.

Biru taught himself how to repair bicycles by watching other people, but he never dreamed of using those skills to start his own business. With your generous support, Biru was able to access an entrepreneurship and livelihoods training program, run by Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas India. He gained the support and skills he needed to start his own bicycle repair business. Now, Biru earns enough money to support his family.

Watch a short film about Biru’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

 

2023 Pre Kindergarten / Kindergarten Enrolments

A reminder to our current families to submit enrolment applications for siblings as soon as possible to secure a place for your child. We now have waiting lists for both year levels and we certainly wouldn’t want our own siblings missing out. Please contact Jane Sloss on 94713000 or email Jane at enrolments@ola.wa.edu.au

School Photos

As previously mentioned, the school photos are now scheduled on Monday 4 April and Tuesday 5 April. Families will receive further information closer to the date.

Dianella Library Carpark

We have been contacted by both the Library staff and shire requesting that our parents do not park allocated for the Dianella Library staff as this area (even when spots are vacant) is allocated purely for library employees.

Thank you.
Greg Martin and Michael Morris
The OLA Leadership Team