Over the last couple of years, the Enterprise and Innovation portfolio, with Mary Barclay as the Team Leader, includes a number of initiatives introduced which encourage student involvement and participation. Our aim has been to keep children active with interests put forward by the staff members and students. The whole concept will eventually be embedded within the curriculum and will be self-sustainable with staff members each taking ownership of different innovations.

Large and small projects have been ongoing throughout the year. Our biggest success this year has been the ‘Walk for Water’ where we raised $5135 for Project Compassion and Caritas. It was a fun filled day spent thinking of others who don’t have enough water.

Organising activities for the school also include Masses, coordinated by the Christian Leadership Ministry with Mrs Barclay’s support, as well as ‘Mozzarella Meetings with Mr Martin’ where children share a pizza lunch with Mr Martin and discuss Year 6 and ideas for the school.

The Year 6 students are divided into four Ministries. They are now experiencing their second group for the year. The children seek to provide activities for the school which ensure that we are putting our faith in action and the OLA values of RICE (Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence.) The Ministries also assist with organising events our fundraising goals of supporting LifeLink, Caritas, Project Compassion and Brother Ollie’s Wheelchairs for Kids. The Year 6 Ministry Groups include:

Sustainability Ministry: The students look after the OLA Market Garden and new planting will occur shortly! This ministry also organises Waste free Wednesday at recess and lunch time, use the Worm Farm and new this term is a project called Mobile Muster. The children are participating in a competition to create a video on the recycling of mobile phones.

Christian Leadership Ministry. The students have invited students in each class to participate in the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.  Each year level was assigned a couple of items to bring in for the needy and homeless people of Perth. The items were collected in Week 3 and have been distributed to those who need it the most.

Sports Ministry: The students have been creating and recording two fitness videos that every class in the school can sing and dance along to in their classes. Last term’s ‘Chicken Dance’ and ‘Dance Monkey’ were created and very successful.

Events Ministry: These students are rostered on to help with Monday morning announcements where the school listens to all the events of the week. With the return of assemblies, this group will also set up and run the assemblies on Wednesday afternoons. They are also introducing the return of the Golden Broom and the introduction of the Golden Bin.

A special project last term for Enterprise and Innovation included a Year 1 Design and Technology project. The students worked individually with Mrs Barclay to plan and create an insect out of Lego. The children then drew and counted the pieces of Lego required, wrote the steps and drew the insect. Their creations were amazing!

There are a number of clubs currently operating at OLA. These on-going clubs, in the library include:

Lego Club – Tuesday mornings 8-8:30 am

Homework Club – Tuesdays after school 3:05-4:00

Chess Club – Thursdays at both lunches. Mrs Dale also puts out the chess boards at other times.

Each term we have on-going and new initiatives and suggestions are always welcome.