Principal’s Message

On Sunday, Pope Francis appealed to the masses from the Vatican, asking Catholics the world over to offer prayer to those in Afghanistan. Pope Francis said he is following the situation “with great concern” and he participates “in the suffering of those mourning for the people who lost their lives in the suicide attacks.” Likewise, he has asked the world to open its arms to those in need, “I ask everyone to continue to assist the needy and to pray that dialogue and solidarity will lead to the establishment of a peaceful and fraternal coexistence and offer hope for the future of the country.” Seeing what has unfolded around the world recently, not only in Afghanistan, but in regards to COVID-19, New Orleans and a myriad of other things, makes you appreciate how lucky we are here in WA. A lot of what we see and hear is almost at arm’s length to us. But seeing all of these constant negatives can change your mindset from seeing the proverbial glass half full to half empty.

It is in this frame that I’d like to share that although we may not see them, there are always glass half full moments that if you keep an eye out for, you will inevitably see and hear, here at OLA. Teachers work under a tremendous amount of pressure and I’m proud to say that I continually witness staff going above and beyond for our children, it may be something as small as making sure a child has lunch when they have forgotten theirs, or sourcing a jumper for them on a cold day, which may seem as a small gesture to an adult, but means the world to that child. And they are doing this not only for one, but for all of the children in our care.

But it is not only the staff, it is you the parents and our students who give us glass half full moments as well. Seeing students show genuine care and support when a fellow student gets hurt, or to be so willing to assist anyone in need truly embodies our school values. Having parents in our community who are so willing to give their time in class and at special events, so often at the drop of a hat, sets a great example for our students and reminds us that we are here for each other, not for ourselves.

In summary, with so much negativity in the news, sometimes we only have to look at ourselves and our kids to see that there is still so much good in the world, remember that it comes from you, your children, their teachers and the wider community. Sometimes we just need to refocus to see the glass being half full again.

I encourage you to show this video to your children, it shows the impact that an act of kindness can have. Have a great week!

Mr Michael Morris

Principal

Leadership Team Message

Spelling Bee

It was fantastic to see our students perform so well at the recent Spelling Bee finals, held at Trinity College. Congratulations to everyone involved, and a special congratulations to Sienna (Year 4) and James (Year 6) for winning their divisions.

Book Week

WOW! What a week, there was so much to do and see! Parents thank you for the obvious effort that was placed into the children’s Book Week Parade costumes, there were some awesome creations on display. The turnout to all of our Book Week related events has been huge! Thank you, Mrs Dale and Mrs Durkin for coordinating the week’s events.

Bedtime Stories Night

It was great to see such a massive turnout to our inaugural Bedtime Stories event, hot chocolate, cookies and a story was a great way to spend the evening together, although Batman was doing his best to rev up the kids!

Sacrament of Confirmation

On Friday 20 August and Saturday 21 August, we celebrated three very reverent masses with Fr. Ken as our Year 6 students participated in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Thank you to Miss Figueira and Miss Versace for preparing the students in class, also thanks to Miss Smith and Mrs McAuliffe for all of the work behind the scenes to support the children. Over the weekend, we also had many staff and students come to support our Year 6s by singing or assisting with the Masses, a huge thank you goes to one and all! Congratulations Year 6s!

Father’s Day Breakfast

Even though we weren’t sure that the bad weather would hold off, we were in luck this morning and had a great turnout for our Father’s Day Breakfast! Dads, it was awesome to see so many of you take the time to come and hang out with your kids before school. Events like these don’t come to fruition without a lot of work behind the scenes. A huge thank you to the staff who gave up their morning to man the BBQs and keep the drinks flowing.

Performing Arts

What a term for all of our students who participated in the Performing Arts Festival, all of our students who participated in any form should be very proud of their efforts. We are still receiving positive feedback from other schools about the performances and behaviour of our students.

Tournament of Minds (TOMs)

OLA re-entered the realm ofTOMs this year and our students performed extremely well, they were instantly commended on their prop design, creativity and the fact that they didn’t use palm cards, but memorised their parts!  Thanks to Mrs Tollis for the hours of preparation that occurred behind the scenes and thank you to the parents who have supported the children throughout their journey. Well done!

Staffing

One of OLA’s longest standing staff members, Mrs Chris Balen has made the decision to step down from her role at OLA after serving more than twenty years as the first port of call to all at OLA. Chris has been with us since 1999 and has seen many staff, cohorts of children and parents move through the school. She has seen children move through school, go through high school and even come back as teachers and parents which is amazing. Chris is to be commended on her service to OLA, she will be missed by all and we wish her the best moving forward.

Mrs Maree Noonan will be taking some well-earned long service leave in Term 4. Miss Liana Anastasio has been appointed to PPG for the remainder of the year. Liana comes to us highly recommended, and we welcome her back to our community.

Arrival Time for Students

Parents, please be aware that students are not to be dropped off at school before 8.00am. On most days the Chester Avenue entry is opened at 8.00am. It has been concerning to see children standing alone outside the gate earlier than this time. Morning fitness and a duty teacher are out in the quadrangle from 8.10am. If you require supervision for your child earlier than this, please consider the OSHC as a secure and safe alternative. Registration details can be found on the school website.

Health Care Card Concession

Parents, if you are the holder of a current Health Care Card and have not notified the front office please do so. The Health Care Card Discount Scheme, introduced in 2005, provides an automatic fee concession to the holders of eligible means-tested family concession cards (Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card). This discount applies to all year levels from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Thank you.

Michael Morris and Rebecca Smith

The OLA Leadership Team