Filter Content
- Welcome Back
- Parent Teacher Interviews
- Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day
- Welcome Disco
- Leadership Speeches
- Beginning of School Year Mass (Staff and Leaders Commitment) Mass
- Letter-boxing
- Marketing Plan
- Parents and Friends Committee Update
- P&F Class Reps Call Out
- ADHV Mobile Dentist
- Holt Swimmimg Carnival
- OLOL Athletics Day
- Flag Raising and School Assemblies
- School Closure Day
- Speedy Drop Off and Speedy Pick-up Procedures
- Specialists Classes
- Catholic Identity Survey
- Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey
- Resilience Project
- 5/6 Beach Camp
- Termly Overviews and Home Learning
- Absences
- Birthdays
- Rest Days for Foundation
- Extend Before and After School Care
- Extend Fortnightly Update
- Hip Hop
- Circus Skills
- ABC Music
- Glee Club
- Net Set Go!
- Prahran Junior Football Club
Well … welcome back everybody! This has been one of the smoothest beginnings to a school year that I think we have ever had. This year we welcome over 20 new families into our school. Much of the credit for the smooth start goes not only to you as parents for being organised and preparing your children in a positive and enthusiastic way, but it goes to the staff for the work that they have done over the holidays. They ensure that things are ready for your children the minute they step through the doors. I would like to say thank you to the staff for their commitment and the work they do over the holidays to ensure a great beginning to the school year. This newsletter is always massive it has lots and lots of information. Remember all newsletters are emailed and SZapp'd but can be retrieved in 'Latest Newsletter' and 'Newsletter Archive' tiles on SZapp.
Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 11th February and Wednesday 12th February.
This Parent Teacher Interview is an opportunity for you, as parents, to share information about your child with the Class Teacher.
With this in mind, we have linked a prompt sheet Question prompt sheet
If you have not booked a time with your child's Class Teacher, please do so. Bookings using our new program 'Session Keeper' is now open and will close on Monday 10th February at 3 pm. (See last week's newsletter for instructions and links.)
Next Tuesday 11th February is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The whole school will be attending a special Feast day Mass on Tuesday morning at 9.30am. Everyone is invited to join us for Mass (these invitations always include grandparents).
With fresh tracks on high rotation, the dance floor is sure to be pumping all night long.
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Special performances by our resident Hip-Hop Crew
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Food (BBQ) & drinks available for purchase
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Disco Stall - glow sticks, face glitter, bubble wands and more! Gold coin donation please
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Icy poles for the kids
At OLOL we value 'student voice' and our leadership programs. Our leaders play such an important part in our school. The process to gain captaincy is involved. Our leaders all make an election speech before the whole school. After the speeches, the students return to their classes to fill in the voting forms privately. This is a major moment in the lives of our young leaders and anyone in the community is invited to the school to hear these well-prepared appeals for election to their preferred role. The election speeches will take place next Wednesday, 12th February at 11.30am. The results of the elections are announced at the beginning of the School year and Commitment Mass next Sunday. They are announced in this environment to honour the important role the school plays in the life of the Parish.
Beginning of School Year Mass (Staff and Leaders Commitment) Mass
As I mentioned last week, as a major part of our Open Day campaign, we would like all families to help OLOL by dropping the new flyers into neighbourhood mailboxes.
The Plan ...
Willing families ring in or drop into the school and nominate a street. Open Day cards will be given to you - if you log your street in person, or to your child if you 'phone it in'.
That street is highlighted so that our poor neighbours don't get inundated with multiple OLOL Open Day flyers.
Robyn at the office will keep the master copy. First in best-dressed basis.
If you need more cards please let us know. If you have cards left over please send them back to school or leave them at willing businesses.
It would be great if you could letter-box more than just your street - remembering that any regular walking journey you take is an opportunity to 'Spread the Love'.
Oh my what a fabulous and enthusiastic response to my quite lengthy piece in last week's newsletter regarding marketing OLOL. We are now ready to be inundated with requests to letterbox the streets of Prahran, South Yarra, Toorak and Armadale!. The plan is below in the 'letterboxing' section.
The letterboxing is one way of helping us with our goal of increasing enrollment at OLOL. We are also exploring embarking on
So this week's request for marketing help is around social media. We would like to form a small group of savvy social media people to initiate and enact a social media plan for the school. If you are equipped with these skills and you can give a little of your time to the school please email me and let me know.
Parents and Friends Committee Update
In week 3 (10th - 14th February) the ADHV Mobile Dentist will be visiting OLOL. Australian Dental Health Victoria (ADHV) is a Victorian-based initiative that will provide all Victorian public and private primary and secondry school students with free dental care beyond an eligibility criteria. This initaitve has been in place for years as the Child Dental Benefits Schedule has existed since 2014.
If you would like your child/ren to visit the ADHV Mobile Dentist please fill out the OLOL Student Form as well as the ADHV form via the links. There are also forms available from the office if you find the link is not working. Please complete by Monday 10th February. It is NOT compulsory for your child/ren to visit the ADHV Mobile Dentist.
If you have any questions please email Adrian McAlister (amcalister@olprahraneast.catholic.edu.au)
On Friday 21st February selected swim squad students from Years 3-6 will be attending the Holt Swimming Carnival at Oakleigh Swimming Pool.
The children will be catching a bus to and from the event. The bus will be leaving at 9am so please have your child at school by 8:45 am.
The bus will arrive back at school at 3pm.
The children must wear sports uniform on the day.
In a bag please make sure that your chiild has the following- towel, underpants, water bottle, hat, snack and lunch. Thank you.
The annual OLOL Athletics Day will be held at Orrong Romanis Reserve on Thurdsday 5th March. It is always a great day for families to come and support their children outside the classroom. Student's will participate in a range of athletic events from sprints to shot put to sack racing. Students and families are encouraged to wear their House Colours on the day, or just their sports uniform.
The events will start at 9.45am and the final prestention to start at 12.15pm.
As there is a lot of setting up and equipment to take from school to the park we are looking for some amazing volunteers to help with this. If you are available and willing to help with the set up and/or pack up of the day can you please fill in this form.
We will also need volunteers to assist with marshalling the 5/6 relays, so again if you available and willing to help can you please fill in this form.
Many thanks!
Flag Raising and School Assemblies
We will be having a school closure day on Friday the 6th March.
Please sign up your children for Extend if you are unable to keep them at home.
Speedy Drop Off and Speedy Pick-up Procedures
- There is no parking at all in the front section of the school until after 9.00am
- This is the speedy drop off area
- Drivers are asked to remain in their cars
- Mr McAlister will supervise the drop offs helping children from cars
- Students will then go directly to the top playground where Mrs Walsh will be on duty
If you would like to accompany your child onto the playground, please park your car away from the designated drop off section and walk with your child into the school. Supervision on the playground is from 8.30am. Prior to 8.30am your child must be booked into before school care with Extend (www.extend.com.au).
AFTERNOON – 3.30pm – 3.45pm
- No parking in the designated pick up section
- Students to be picked up will come to the front of the school
- When a parent/carer pulls up, drivers are to remain in their cars and Mr McAlister or Mrs Walsh will help the student/s into the car
- Please drive right into the curb so cars can pass you
- Car, parent/carer and students drive off allowing for the next car to move up into the section
- Please DO NOT make a U-TURN from the parking zone into the house opposite (No. 18) driveway. We understand that you need to turn around so that you are not faced with trying to get out onto Orrong Road. We are asking that you drive off down Wynnstay Road, over the children’s crossing and then use the driveway on the other side of the crossing to make your U-turn
Finally, of an afternoon ‘Speedy Pick up’ operates from 3.30pm to 3.45pm. You do not have to be at the front of the school at 3.30pm sharp. There is a 15-minute window in which you can arrive. There is no pressure from us that you are out there at exactly 3.30pm.
Parking
Please be aware of the parking restrictions on Wynnstay Road on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The parking officers are lethal!
Please also pay close attention to the parking restrictions in A’Beckett Street. This is the street that our back gate opens on to. If you need convenience and speed, please use the front Speedy Pick-up service mentioned above. If you’re not in a hurry, please park near Orrong Romanis Park, walk up to the school and then accompany your children back to the car.
Day | Specialist Class | Teacher | Requirements |
Monday | Art (Years 2 & 3) | Mrs Luisa Vivarelli | Art Smock |
Tuesday | Physical Education | Mrs Rachel McLeary | Sports uniform to be worn all day |
Tuesday | Italian | Mrs Josie Gleeson | |
Tuesday | STEMS | Mrs Luisa Vivarelli | |
Friday | Art (Years F, 1, 4 , 5, 6) | Mrs Lusia Vivarelli | Art Smock |
Friday | Sport | Class Teacher | Sports uniform to be worn all day |
Catholic schools across Victoria were created through the vision, dedication, hard work and commitment of the whole Catholic community.
Today, schools are challenged to:
- articulate their identity and vision
- express their distinctiveness as Catholic schools in a society where the Christian faith is increasingly marginalised.
To assist schools in facing these present realities the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) and the Catholic Education Offices of Melbourne, Ballarat, Sandhurst and Sale have entered into a research partnership with the Catholic university in Leuven, Belgium (KULeuven) to profile and develop the Catholic identity of Catholic schools.
The Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project will assist schools to understand better how their Catholic Identity is expressed in work and practice and support them in their future development.
Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne aim for continuous school improvement. An essential element of this improvement is understanding how students perceive the Catholic identity of our school and what they might like Catholic identity at OLOL to look like in the years ahead.
Students have an important voice in our planning and so we invite all students in Years Five and Six to participate in the Enhancing Catholic School Identity survey.
Student responses to the survey will assist us in better understanding how our Catholic Identity is expressed. The results will contribute to a reliable picture of our school’s Catholic Identity, which we will use to inform our school improvement for the next four years.
In the weeks ahead, each student in Years Five and Six will be asked to complete an online survey, access to which is only available through individual user codes and passwords. At no time will students be named or identified in the survey; their responses are guaranteed to be anonymous.
I look forward to the contribution that our students’ responses will make to improving our school.
Please contact me through the school office if you do not wish your child to participate in the ECSI survey.
Parents will also be asked to complete the survey when it opens later in February. More details will be included in the next Newsletter.
This year in Term 1, Year 5 and 6 students will be going on camp to YMCA Camp Wyuna in Queenscliff on Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th February (Week 5).
Students will participate in a range of activities over the three days including a range of water and outdoor activities.
The students will leave school at 10.30 am and arrive in Queenscliff at 12.30 pm. Students are scheduled to arrive back at Our Lady of Lourdes on Friday 28th February at 3.30 pm.
If any students need to take medication on the camp please read the medical information sheet provided. Please fill in the form below and return to school by Wednesday 12th February.
We are looking forward to a fun and action-packed beach camp.
5/6 Beach Camp Permission Form
Termly Overviews and Home Learning
Termly Overviews and Home Learning will be available on the SZapp from 7th February.
Access to the Termly Overviews and Home Learning is now available via the SZapp and here. To keep up to date in what your child is learning and ssupport this at home we strongly recommend you read the Termly Overview and keep an eye on Home Learning.
When your child is absent, please go on to the SZapp located on the Home tile entitled 'Absentee & Appointments' notifying the office by 9.15am.
Birthday Party Invites
We ask that parents be responsible for giving out birthday party invites (not the children). Please be careful and discreet with invitation handing out as it can be hurtful if an entire grade is not invited. If you are working parents and do not get to see students or parents at pick up or drop off it might be an idea to email invites.
Teachers are not responsible for handing invites out.
Celebrating Birthdays
While on birthdays … we ask that you do not send birthday treats (cakes, lollies etc) to school to be shared. The students will sing happy birthday to your children on or close to, their birthdays and they will receive their birthday award in assembly.
Our Foundation students do not attend school on the following days for the month of February :
Wednesday, 12th February
Wednesday, 19th February
Wednesday, 26th February
Extend Before and After School Care
Extend understand that high quality care and education doesn’t ‘just happen’. They believe it takes a committed team of quality staff all working towards great outcomes for children, parents and school communities. Their ideals, expectations and vision fit easily into the OLOL philosophy and so we enjoy a very successful program of out of hours care. I regularly receive feedback from parents about just how happy they are with the care the students receive.
As Extend is a professional group, it takes several days to process a new ‘enrolment’. We ask that every student is enrolled in the Extend Before and After Care Program so that if you ever need to use the service you are ready to go.
Extend have a comprehensive website which they invite you to browse to learn more about Extend or to enrol your child: www.extend.com.au.
All families requiring bookings for Before School Care and After School Care (existing and new families) must create a new account with LookedAfter. Go to https://www.lookedafter.com.
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Week 1: Holidays |
Week 1: Holidays |
Week 1: Holidays |
Week 1:Fruit Smoothies |
Week 1: Jewellery Making |
Week 2 : Bliss Balls |
Week 2 : Watercolour Painting |
Week 2: Dyed Flowers |
Week 2 : Four Square Tournament |
Week 2 : Planting Seedlings |
The Extend Superstar is…
All of the new Extenders, for being brave and open to being in an unfamiliar environment.
What’s Been Happening?
Hi Families, and welcome back to 2020! We hope you had a beautiful and relaxing Christmas and New Year break. Last year, we had a blast doing all sorts of activities like cooking, craft, painting, science experiments, gardening, and many more. This year we are excited to continue creating, learning and making new memories with all the Extenders - old and new! Have a wonderful start to the Term, we can’t wait to share our new creations with you in our next newsletter. Warmly, the team at Extend.
Enrol and book now: extend.com.au
Classes are taught by Cathy Vertkas and students can be enrolled by contacting her directly on her mobile telephone: 0406 022 919.
After the success of last years Mini-Glee Club (we won Gold!) interest has been high to re-form the group for the ‘Autumn Challenge - 2020 Glee National Championships’.
These are being held on Saturday 14th March 2020.
Cathy Vertkas (our Hip-Hop teacher) is happy to run lunchtime "Glee Club" classes in the lead up to the Autumn Challenge.
As this competition is only seven school weeks away, Cathy is proposing that any student who wants to be involved, commit to two lunchtime classes a week. All students across all year levels who are willing to attend the two lunchtime classes each week, and are available to compete on Saturday 14th March are welcome to try out.
The cost of OLOL Glee Club is $110.00. This includes: ten lunchtime lessons as well as competition registration. After the fun and success of last year I know there will be lots of students interested in Glee 2020 - BUT you have to register with Cathy Vertkis immediately as time is short.
If you are interested in joining OLOL Glee Club, please contact Cathy Vertkas on 0406 022 919 or email : cathyangel@bigpond.com.
Registrations for OLOL Glee Club - Autumn Challenge close today, Thursday 6th February.