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- Reminder - School Closure Day Tomorrow
- Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey
- The Resilience Project Ad and RSVP
- Being a Principal
- Mobile Phone use at OLOL
- P&F Major Fundraiser
- Parent Engagement [Part II] SEESAW
- Year 5 & 6 Beach Camp
- Holt Swimming Carnival
- Melbourne Football Club Visit
- Welcome to the World Aurora Dinh!
- Prahran Junior Football Club
- Parent and Student Portals
- Education Board AGM
- Speedy Pick Up/Drop Off Procedure
- New Governance Arrangements
Reminder - School Closure Day Tomorrow
A reminder that tomorrow, Friday 6th March is a
School Closure Day and also that Monday 9th March is Labour Day Public Holiday.
We wish you all a lovely four day weekend and look forward to seeing you back at school on Tuesday, 10th March.
Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Survey
Want to win TWO GOLD CLASS CINEMA TICKETS?
I write to invite you to participate in the Enhancing Catholic School Identity survey which will assist us in better understanding how our Catholic Identity is expressed in work and practice here at OLOL.
The Catholic University in Leuven, was commissioned by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) to design a process and tools, based on sound research, to accomplish the goal of understanding our current Catholic identity and where the school community might like to see itself in the future.
The ECSI survey is a key element in this process and I write to request your participation. The online survey gathers responses from students in Years 5 and 6, all staff and parents.
We kindly ask your partitipation in completing the survey online; it may take you up to an hour to do so. Try not to get caught up in the questions, simply respond intuitively. If you wish to complete the survey in more than one session, keep a record of your individual User code and Password. The survey is only available through the project website. Your responses to this survey are guaranteed to be kept anonymous.
When you have completed the survey please print or email your 'Cerificate of Completion' to the Office. All entries will be placed into a draw and the family picked will win two Gold Class Cinema Tickets!
If you have any questions, please contact Irene Archer who will be able to support you (irene.archer@olprahraneast.catholic.edu.au). We will be offering sessions where you can complete the survey at school with a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. These sessions will be on Friday 13th March at 9am and Friday 20th March at 2pm.
Please refer to the ‘ECSI Parent Survey for further details.
Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your anticipated participation.
Look what I got given last week! This very beautiful pot was made for me by this enterprising group of year fours. All sorts of people were involved in its creation from teachers on duty 'keeping the secret' as clay was dug from the garden to Mrs. Vivalrelli who was sweet-talked into contributing clay-dye for its lovely hue. Then to top off the top-secret project it was filled with mini TimTams. Like every career mine has its challenges but how lucky am I to be the beneficiary of such creativity, planning and thought. Thank you girls you made my week!
So here we are again warning about mobile phone use in children under 13 years old. You are the parents and ultimately these things are your purview. We have a ‘no phones at school’ policy - Our policy deals with school hours but the reality is that regardless of what time an incident takes place (the most recent incident occurred after 9.00 pm) it becomes a school issue. This impacts the school enormously we have to spend time and resources; investigating, mediating and ultimately putting even more measures into protecting ‘our’ students from themselves.
Current expert opinion suggests that no child at primary school should own a phone. Primary school-aged children are not mature enough to cope with the sophistication of what is in their hands.
Last year at the end of term one we asked parents to check their children's phones regularly and mentioned several apps of which were of concern. One of those mentioned was TikTok. There is now footage of OLOL students up on TikTok - some in uniform. I have not seen the videos and so don't know where they were filmed but it is up and it is not harmless. There is also footage of Friday night’s disco on TikTok and goodness knows where else. That this took place considering we have a no-phone policy is beyond me.
In Sunday’s Herald Sun there was an article ‘TikTok Time Up - Kids video warning.’
“Students are posting controversial TikTok videos in uniform even as cyber safety experts tour schools warning parents to delete the hugely popular video-sharing app.” Cybersafety expert Susan McLean was aware of a Melbourne primary school where four girls were caught filming TikTok videos in the toilets. “It is a duty of care issues. How on earth does any kid have a phone in the toilet in the first place? It is dangerous as it identifies the students, the school and puts all students in the school at risk” she said.”TikTok is the main issue at the moment. The schools lack the ability to manage it because the parents are oblivious to the dangers and they let their kids do it”. She said “predators frequent TikTok looking for victims and warned parents that what might seem cute to them was “very attractive to a paedophile.” All parents of primary school students should delete TikTok” she said.
The advice is that no student at primary school should own a phone. There are devices available that give you the option to track your child if walking to and from school is a concern. I did a quick google search and they are there. Whatever device you end up purchasing cannot have any kind of recording ability either aural or video on it as that contravenes our mobile device policy. The school needs your cooperation in this matter as every incident uses up precious school resources: disciplining students, rewriting policy and practice, apologising to injured parties and consoling devastated parents.
Our school policy is clear - no phones at school at any time. We are about to make it clearer. You MUST have the form linked, on our policy signed by both parents and the school if there is any reason AT ALL for a student to have a phone at school. Otherwise, the phone will be confiscated and will not be returned until a parent collects it from the school.
PLEASE READ THE UPDATED MOBILE PHONE USE POLICY AS IT WILL BE ENFORCED.
- This year’s major fundraiser, hosted by the P&F in Term 3, will feature both silent and live auctions
- In preparation, We are asking all members of the olol community to don their thinking caps and start sourcing auction item donations. Ideas include:
- Experiences
- Activities, Lessons or Classes
- Memorabilia
- Merchandise / Goods
- Subscriptions
- The list is endless!
- If you have an item to donate, or would like to be part of the P&F fundraising committee, please contact Alison McLeish: 0491 136 794 / alison-mcleish@live.com.au
Parent Engagement [Part II] SEESAW
At OLOL we use ‘Seesaw’ as our preeminent communication tool to share students’ work with you. OLOL began using the app in the infant school in 2018 and then incrementally introduced it across the school. It is now used from F - 6. There are many positive aspects to Seesaw, two of the main parent-related benefits are that it shows parents the learning that is taking place for their child on a regular basis and the easy digital format also gives working parents a much greater insight into our classrooms than has previously been possible.
For me as a principal, it also begins to come close to a Utopian view of assessment and feedback. Leaders in the field of education have for many years had a vision of assessment as an ongoing progression of knowledge throughout the year where a parent has as clear a picture of their child’s learning as their classroom teachers. That way the big moments of ‘REPORTS’ in July and December are not the be-all-end-all only point of reporting that they once were. Rather they are just two more points in a very clear picture that you already hold about your child and their ongoing development.
I cannot tell you the delight on a child's face when you as the parent take advantage of the ‘Comments and Likes’ tab. We all know and understand the psychological power of a positive comment. Imagine how immeasurable the impact of a comment on your child’s work might be to spur them onto greater and greater learning.
I quoted Sharratt and Fullan last newsletter about the undeniable link between parent engagement and student improvement. If you could all please check that:
Things to do |
Things you might need to know |
You have the app on your phone |
Search Seesaw on your app store and download the app. The app you require is Seesaw Parent and Family. You were sent a personalised barcode at the start of the year - if you cannot connect to your child's journal please contact your classroom teacher immediately. |
You pop on and look at your child/rens work |
Trust me - you’ll be very proud! |
You leave a comment on the Comments and Likes tab. |
Know that research supports the knowledge that you are supporting your child's learning outcomes by merely engaging with them about their work. |
Talk about what you have seen with your child. |
You can also use the post to discuss at a deeper level what your child learnt. The possibilities are endless! |
Seesaw is a beautiful way to celebrate student learning. In addition to acting as an assessment tool, it provides families with a unique insight into the classroom. The children are always so excited to post their learning onto Seesaw which sparks great conversations around the dinner table, and the pride elicited is invaluable to their development. - Angelique Gabriel, Classroom teacher
Seesaw is a remarkable platform to share, create and demonstrate students learning with the school community. It allows parents to view their child's work as well as all teachers within the school to see what students in other classrooms are doing. It gives a sense of collaboration between students, teachers and parents. Viewing student portfolios, teachers and parents gain valuable insight into what their students know and can better support their development outside of school.” - Adrian McAlister - Deputy Teaching and Learning
Seesaw allows OLOL students to share their work with parents, grandparents and extended family members. The comments and likes allow parents and students to share in the child’s learning, developing dialogue both on the app and at home. Parents get live updates on what their child is doing in the classroom which means when reports are shared at the end of each semester parents can identify with what has been written in the reports. Seesaw is essential in enabling parents to see progression over the year. They can witness improvement in both the quality and quantity of the child’s work in all learning areas, Maths, Reading, Writing, RE, Inquiry and other areas of school life, such as special events.
- Irene Archer - Classroom teacher
On Wednesday 25th February, the 5/6 students loaded up onto the two buses ready for the 90 min drive down to Queenscliff. Mr Costa and Mr McAlister loaded up the Spotify playlist of the student's songs and sang all the way down to the camp. Once there, we were greeted by our two camp leaders, Jack and Bridget. They measured up our helmets and bikes and set off along the track next to the beach. Ian, Christian, Oriana and Victoria shot off in front while Hina, Sophie, Ben and Luan were taking their time enjoying the views down the coast. Mr Costa and Mr Mac were shocked at how well Robyn could ride a bike. She was doing wheelies and jumps every chance she got.
Arriving back at camp, the bikes were stacked and the students went for a tour of the facilities. Kids immediately ran into rooms claiming their beds with excitement. They didn’t realise that the teachers had already allocated their rooms as well as their bunk buddies. At 5.45 pm, the first dinner duty team was chosen and dinner set up began. Chicken Schnitzel and roasted veggies were on the menu with three runs back to the kitchen to fill up the sauce bottle. After tea, the teachers took the students for a walk down to the beach. It was chilly with the sea air blowing onto our face. The kids didn’t care and proceeded to play games with the tide. Christian, Ben and Jayla got distracted and the waves washed up over their shoes making them soaking wet. The look on their face when they realised they have soaked their only pair of shoes was priceless. After a quick change of shoes, the kids were ready for a night of trivia. Miss Archer would have been so proud of how many biblical questions the students got correct.
On the second day, the kids slowly appeared one by one. The breakfast team set up the tables and chairs to smell of freshly cooked bacon and eggs. The kids were split into two teams, one team to the beach for beach games and other to the Marine Centre. Mr Costa decided to join in his team games which later on became evident of a poor decision, costing them valuable time. Long story short, Mr McAlister’s team was faster! The other group enjoyed a private tour of the Marine Centre, learning about the different fish and how to keep our waterways clean. Georgia and Isaac enjoyed being able to touch some of the coral, hermit crabs and abalone in the touch tank.
A quick wrap for lunch and kids were eager to head back to the beach for some bodyboarding. All the students put on their wetsuits, grabbed their bodyboards and ran down to the beach to catch some waves. The water was chilly but didn’t stop the kids from diving and catching their first wave of the session. Hina, Grace, Luan and Sophie were clear experts in catching waves. Shanti and Sharni were playing around in the waves while Fr Hayes and Mrs Walsh enjoyed the soft sand between their toes.
After dinner, the kids put on their pyjamas, grabbed their pillows and sleeping bag and settled in to watch a great movie, ‘Evan Almighty’. Looking around the room at some tired faces, some stayed up to watch the movie while others dozed off to sleep.
The struggle was real on Friday morning as by 7.10 am and not a child was in sight. Everyone was fast asleep, exhausted from the beach activities. Once the campers finally rose, bags were packed, baked beans on toast were consumed and off we went for walk along the beach track to Queenscliff Fort. Adrian, Alexandra and Zoe lead the way eager to be the first ones to arrive. The kids enjoyed the rich history of the fort dating back to the late 1800s. Dressing up in old army uniforms and looking through old ammunition bunkers gave the kids a good insight into what life was like at the Fort. Tired legs, tired eyes and hunger set in as we ordered our fish and chips for lunch. The kids were excited to be heading home to their own beds and home cooked meals.
On Friday 21st February, 12 students from OLOL competed in the Holt District Swimming Carnival. Everyone who participated swam beautifully and should be very proud of themselves. A big thank you to Mr McAlister and Mr Costa for all their help on the day. From this carnival we have 1 student going through to the next level, the Beachside Swimming Carnival held at Oakleigh Recreation Centre, this Friday. Good luck to Georgia. A fantastic effort to get to this level, we know you will make OLOL proud.
*PS I'm LOVING Georgia's OLOL coloured swim-robe. I think they should be compulsory! Good one Georgia taking our branding to a whole new level.
Last Tuesday, 5 players from the Melbourne Football Club walked into the 3/4 students singing their theme song. James Haymes, Neville Jetta, Trent Rivers, Luke Jackson and Kysaiah Pickett ran a football drill clinic with the students, teaching them the correct techniques to kick, mark and handball a football. Billy Morgan grew a few centimetres as soon as he saw his club heroes.
After the football clinic with the 3/4 students, the players moved upstairs to talk to the 5/6 students about leadership. They took them through a series of teamwork activities before discussing the role of a leader, importance to lead even if you were not chosen to be a leader and to work as a team. During the Q&A Shanti Gee asked the five players to sing their theme song. From the look on their faces, they weren't confident to sing it, I think it’s because they haven’t sung it as a team for a while.
Go Pies!
Welcome to the World Aurora Dinh!
Registrations are now open for Prahran Junior Football Club (PJFC). They have already had many OLOL children register for the season but are still taking players for most age groups. They are particularly interested in any Under 10 Girls ie. girls born between 1 Jan 2010 and 31 Jan 2012, as they would love to get a team running for this season.
OLOL families have enjoyed a long association with PJFC. It is a great local club and a fantastic way to become involved in our wider community. PJFC also offers free registration fees and uniforms if financial issues are preventing children from playing.
Contact details for registering are listed below.
Parent Portal - https://sites.google.com/vic.catholic.edu.au/olol/home
Student Portal - https://sites.google.com/vic.catholic.edu.au/ololstudentportal/home
Regards,
Adrian McAlister
Act as an advisory body to the parish priest and principal, on matters concerning the parish primary school;
Act as a forum for discussion on matters concerning education in the parish primary school;
Provide a link between the parish priest, principal, teachers and parishioners in relation to the provision of Catholic Education in the parish primary school;
Promote community development by fostering a strong interrelationship between the parish and the parish primary school.
The Parish Priest (in our case Fr. Brendan Hayes) nominates members to the Board, keeping in mind that boards and committees operate most effectively when their members come with different skills, knowledge, backgrounds and experience.
Successful boards are able to identify the qualities, expertise and skills required of their membership based on the current needs of the school. These needs come from the School Improvement Plan.
Fr. Hayes, is looking for parents with skills and interested in school improvement, who would be happy to serve a term on the Board (three years).
We aim for the board to represent the school as best as we can and to that end endeavour to have a balance of all kinds of elements including year levels, family size and gender. This year we would be keen for two more women to join us on the board. This does not exclude men from also applying but may serve to encourage more women to apply. If you are interested in joining the Board and feel you have a suitable skill set we would love to hear from you. Please email a brief letter to Fr Hayes outlining your skills and interest via principal@olprahraneast.catholic.edu.au
*Google just told me that this article sounds very formal, a little friendly and slightly optimistic - so I guess we're hitting the mark?
Speedy Pick Up/Drop Off Procedure
MORNING – From 8.30am – 9.00am
- 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. Please DO NOT stop and help your children out of the car. Please park your car if you wish to get out.
- 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
- Do not make a u-turn at the drop off area. Cars are often overtaking cars in line and this may cause an accident.
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.
A consultation process is currently underway with stakeholders to establish the form of those arrangements.
A Steering Committee comprising stakeholder representatives is leading the process and aiming for a seamless transition to minimise the impact of the governance change. While the change in governance will not disrupt the work of schools, it is important to keep teachers, parents and staff informed about the project.
Why now?
A number of factors have led to the need for a change in governance arrangements. These include recommendations that have been made from a royal commission and a parliamentary inquiry. More importantly, the new governance arrangements will need to preserve and strengthen the Catholicity of our schools in the future.
With legislative and compliance requirements rapidly becoming more complex for our schools, a governance model based on one person in which the school is unincorporated, as currently found in our parish schools and regional colleges, is no longer viable. The new governance model seeks both to ease the administrative burden on our schools and parishes, and to allow the parish priest more time to focus on the mission of education in the parish.
While the governance model will change one aspect of the relationship between parish and school, it is essential that parishes and schools continue to be partners in the faith development of students. The connection between parish and school enables our young people to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments: the ‘source and summit’ of our Christian lives. It is the essence of an educational experience that is truly Catholic.
What difference will it make?
The governance reforms will enable schools to continue delivering an outstanding faith and valuesbased education, without being burdened by the increasingly complex legislative and regulatory requirements.
Proposed governance reforms will also preserve the critical pastoral role of the parish priest in the school community.
Who will be affected?
Not all Catholic schools in Melbourne will be affected by the governance change, as congregational and ministerial public juridical person (PJP) schools fall outside the group of schools in the archdiocese governed by the new model. They will however continue their service relationship with Catholic Education Melbourne.
Seamless employment transition
There will be a seamless transition to the new governance arrangements for teachers and other employees within parish, regional and archdiocese owned schools.
As schools transition to new arrangements, employees will receive new offers of employment on the same terms and conditions, with their prior service being recognised.
There has been consultation with the union and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) to ensure this transition will be smooth.
The parish and the school
The central role of parish priests and the value of their leadership to the mission of Catholic education within the wider context of the parish community will continue. A charter will be developed with input from priests, principals and other stakeholders to ensure that the roles, rights and responsibilities of all are properly understood and safeguarded.
An important part of the model will be to provide an opportunity at each school for parents – as partners in the education of their children – to have a voice, and a forum for the school community to work effectively with parishes and Catholic Education Melbourne.
Change
While acknowledging the complexity of the legal and operational issues involved in moving to a new governance model, this change process is a positive opportunity to further enhance the evangelising and educative ministry of Catholic education. We will continue to focus on being faithful to God’s mission, with the school as an educational expression of that mission within the parish.