14 - 16th May, 2025 - Term 2, Week 4

Principal's News

Dear Families,

We have had a great week of learning at OLSH, with PAT assessments taking place in all classrooms. PAT testing in literacy and numeracy are an annual requirement that help teachers to gauge where students are at with their learning at this stage of the year and these are repeated later in the year so that data can be compared. Our students take these assessments in their stride and understand that they are a necessary tool for monitoring learning. Well done to all students on their efforts.

Our Grade Three, Four, Five and Six students headed off this morning on their excursion to the Mildura Field Days. After a great time last year, all the students were keen to return to see the multitude of displays and products on offer. Thank you to Mrs. Courtney for organising the excursion and to the parents who volunteered their time to come along to assist. By all accounts, everyone had a great day.

This Monday, staff will take part in professional development based on Learner Agency – what it is and how schools can develop this in our students. Learner Agency aims to teach students to challenge themselves and to be intrinsically motivated to learn. This in turn prompts student engagement and promotes better learning outcomes. OLSH will be joining Sacred Heart Primary School and St. Joseph’s Primary, Red Cliffs, for this professional development and are looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate.

I have been in Horsham for the last two days learning more about the Diocese’s Strategic Plan for developing a system of high performing schools. This learning has been ongoing for principals over the past year, and now it’s time for staff to gain an understanding about where our diocese is heading over the next 10 years. The Strategic Plan will be the focus of our school closure day on Tuesday 27^th of May and we look forward to finding out more about how we further develop our schools to be great places of learning. This will be a slow process, but we have quite a bit of time to work out how this improvement will work for us in our context.

We have now completed interviews and have sent out our offers of enrolment to new Prep families for 2026! Existing families will receive offers later in the term and interviews will be arranged for later in the year. Thank you to all current families who have completed their enrolment forms. Although we assume you are sending siblings to OLSH, it is helpful for us to have the paperwork done! As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we now have a full class for 2026 and have a waiting list, which is fantastic for our school moving forward.

Thank you to all families for making sure that students are in full winter uniform. There are only a handful of students who have not managed to move from shorts to long pants, but I look forward to this being rectified by Monday!

In Week Seven, I will be taking three weeks of Long Service Leave. Whilst I am away, the Leadership Team of Adam Lawrence, Cheryl-Anne Courtney, Lisa Ryan and Jo Finlayson will be taking care of the school, with Adam Lawrence being the first point of contact for any issues. I’m sure all will be well while I am away!

Enjoy the weekend!

Narelle Gallagher

Links:

Enrolments at OLSH:

OLSH Calendar:

Religious Education News

Catholic Education Week Mass: will be held on Wednesday May 21st at 10am at the St. Joseph's Stadium on 11th Street, Mildura. If parents wish to attend the Mass please email Michael Breewel by Monday May 19th so numbers can be confirmed.

Marian Month: we will be learning about Mary, the mother of Jesus during the Month of May. All childen are asked to bring their rosary beads into school next week. Preps and other new children will recieve a set of rosary beads next week, which have been made by the OLSH parishioners. The month will finish with a liturgy to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Friday May 30th. More details to follow.

Sacramental Program: We have a number of children involved in the sacrament program in the coming weeks. Children are now preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation and Holy Communion, so please keep the following students in your prayers:

Confirmation: Jacinta Wagner, Sophie Barnes, Anatasia Cory, Layla Portaro, Ivie Mazza.

Holy Communion: Isaac Lohmeyer and Morgan Dowling. 

* A reminder to parents that all forms should now be returned to the parish office filled out with your child's details, Mass times you are attending and your child's sponsor name.

* Children making their first commuion need to ensure they have the passport and attend 3 Masses before making the Sacrament of Holy Communion. These need to be handed into the parish office the week before the sacrament. 

* There will be practice sessions for both sacraments the week before the sacrament. Please contact the parish office for further details.

* Lessons are online and need to be completed before making the sacraments. It's encouraged that students complete one lesson a week with their parents. 

• Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on the weekend of  Friday 30th, Saturday 31st May & Sunday June 1st.

• Celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion will be held on the weekend of  Friday 20th, Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd June.

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Year 2 & Above)

There will be an opportunity for children in Grade Two or above to make their Sacrament of Reconciliation. Below are the details of the parent information night and the celebration of the sacrament. Please contact the parish office for further details if you are interested in making the sacrament. 

• Parent Information Session - Wednesday October 15th
• Celebration of Sacrament - Wednesday November 26th

Tuning in to Kids

Book Fair

Dear Parents,

The annual book fair is coming up in Week 5. The children will be coming in to view the books with their wish list on Tuesday the 20th of May. There will be a small catalogue with a sample of what is on offer sent home prior to this day and there will also be a variety of stationery available too!

The students will then be purchasing on Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd. This year we are encouraging parents, wherever possible, to order and purchase books online through the Scholastic Book Fair prepayment system. Forms for this can be found on the back of the catalogue. Stationery items and posters must be purchased with cash and cannot be reordered.

Happy Birthday

We wish the following students a Happy Birthday:

Month of May:

• 2nd - Dusty H - 7 yrs

• 4th - Evelyn L - 6 yrs

• 4th - Bailey S - 8 yrs

• 6th - Ivie M - 9 yrs

• 7th - Hunter-Rose K - 7 yrs

• 11th - Chloe SR - 12 yrs

• 14th - Meila G - 9 yrs

• 18th - Oliver L - 8 yrs

• 20th - Aysha ES - 11 yrs

• 23rd - Isla C - 10 yrs

• 25th - Harrison G - 8 yrs

• 25th - Paley H - 12 yrs

• 26th - Halle PZ - 7 yrs

• 27th - Jessica M - 11 yrs

• 27th - Harriet P - 9 yrs

• 28th - Parker M - 7 yrs

OLSH Canteen

Orders need to be completed by 9.15am every Friday.

Prep News

Next week will be a very busy week with no school on Monday, the Catholic Education Week Mass and Book Fair.

Catholic Education Week- Please make sure your child has permission for the Catholic Education Week Mass. This will need to be completed on Simon.

Book Fair- On Tuesday we will be visiting the Book Fair to write a wish list. We will then return on Wednesday to purchase books. 

Show and Tell- Week 5's Show and Tell is 'Free Choice.'

Assembly- On Friday the 6th of June the Preps will be presenting at assembly. Everyone is welcome to come along!

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Grade 1 News

We've had a wonderfully busy week in Grade 1! Our students have been hard at work preparing for our assembly next Friday—they’re doing a fantastic job learning the lyrics and mastering the dance moves. We can’t wait to share their efforts with you!

This week, we also began PAT testing. Students have completed the reading test, and next week they will be taking the maths test.

Next week is shaping up to be another full and exciting one! On Tuesday, we’ll be visiting the Book Fair to browse and create wish lists. Then on Wednesday, students are welcome to bring money to school to purchase books. More details about the Book Fair have been shared on Seesaw.

Also on Wednesday, we’ll be attending the CEW Mass at St. Joseph’s Stadium. Please ensure your child comes to school in full winter uniform for this special event.

Finally, please take a moment to read through the rest of the newsletter—there’s always important information about upcoming events and activities that we don’t want you to miss.

Grade 2 News

 This week we have had a big focus on Mother's Day and preparing for our assembly. 

The students have been working hard to make some very thoughful gifts for their mothers and have also completed some writing tasks answering questions all about their mums!

In Mathematics, we have been learning about number patterns and units of measurement. Yesterday we measured objects in the classroom using metres. 

In History, we have been learning about the Sunraysia area and will be doing some learning about the Murray River and the Wentworth area. Towards the end of this term, we will be going on an excursion to the Old Wentworth Gaol and Pioneer Museum. More information will be sent home about this closer to the date. 

We wish all our wonderful mums a very happy day on Sunday. 

Lisa

Painting Portraits!

Grade 3 News

It’s been a vibrant and engaging week in Grade 3!

On Wednesday, we teamed up with the Grade 4 class for our Term 2 Inform and Empower incursion, focusing on developing healthy digital habits. Students learned about the importance of balancing screen time with green time and explored strategies for managing tricky emotions that can arise from device use. You’ll find some photos from the session in the gallery, along with a parent information sheet linked below.

In class, students have been working through the PAT Reading and Maths assessments, which help monitor their progress and provide valuable information for end-of-semester report writing.

You may have caught a glimpse of our class on Facebook Live last week, proudly practicing their drumming routines as part of our Performing Arts program. They’re loving these sessions, especially enjoying the chance to learn outdoors on sunny days. In Auslan, students have been revising colour signs through fun group games—Mrs Garraway has shared some lovely photos of this in the gallery. It’s a joy to see how much students look forward to their specialist lessons each week—they bring a wonderful energy and creativity to everything they do!

Today we’re all buzzing with excitement for the Mildura Field Days excursion. A heartfelt thank you to Allison Mazza, Jaimee Hardy, Lauren Page, and Dannielle Libchard for generously giving your time to support our class. Your help allows students to explore in smaller groups, giving them the chance to dive deeper into exhibits that spark their interest. Your support makes a big difference, and we are so grateful. Keep an eye on Seesaw—I’ll be posting photos from our day out very soon!

Some reminders for next week.

Tuesday: Bookfair viewing and wish lists

Wednesday: CEW Mass at St Joseph's College Mercy Campus

Thursday: Bookfair purchasing.

Have a lovely weekend!

Cheryl-Anne 

Grade 4 News

This week we had our Term Two Inform and Empower online lesson. The focus was on the importance of balancing screen time with green time and we discussed how to manage uncomfortable feelings that may arise from device use. Please refer to the parent information flyer below.

Our well deserved recipients of the Pen License this week went to Tommy, Jake and Isaac. Well done!

This week we completed two Pat Tests - Mathematics and Reading. These tests are a valuable assessment tool as they give us a good indication of how much a student has progressed throughout the year. As well as other various types of tests that we use, they also guide us in writing your child's school report.

Thanks to Maree (Lachy's mum) and Hannah (Savannah W's mum) who kindly volunteered to help out with today's excursion to the Mildura Field Days. Your help was very much appreciated.

A couple of reminders:

-there is a school closure on Monday 19th May

-bookfair viewing for Grade Four is Tuesday 20th May at 10:30am

-bookfair buying for Grade Four is Thursday 22nd May at 2:30pm

-Sunraysia Schools Catholic Education Week Mass will be held at the Mercy Campus in Mildura on Wednesday 21st May

Have a great weekend!

Julie

Well done Jake, Isaac and Tommy on recieving your Pen License

Grade 5 News

Next week, I will be away for what will hopefully be the final part of my cancer treatment. I’ll be back on Thursday, the 29th. During my absence, Mrs. Lawrence will be taking the class.

A reminder that next Wednesday is the Catholic Education Week Mass. If you haven’t already done so, please complete the permission form on PAM as soon as possible.

There is no school on Monday for the students as staff are attending the James Anderson PD.

Thank You, Adam Lawrence

Grade 6 News

We've had another big week in Grade Six!

Students have completed two PAT tests this week - Reading and Maths. These tests give us valuable information about how students are progressing througout the year. 

On Tuesday we had our second Inform and Empower session which teaches students about the correct use of devices. This one was all about balancing screen time with green time, and how they can use their screens sometimes but also have time outside. 

Reminders for Week Five: 

- There is a school closure on Monday 19th May. 

- On Tuesday students will be going to view the Book Fair in the library to fill out their wishlist for some new books. We will be going at 12-12.30. Students will have the oppurtunity to purchase their books on Thursday at 9.30. 

- On Wednesday we will be travelling by bus to the Catholic Education Week Mass. We return to school around 11ish where we will then be particpating in the National Simultaneous Storytime 2025. Students will all be reading the same book at the same time, and then completing an activity on this book. 

- On Thursday I won't be in the classroom (however I will still be around school). Students will have Mrs Lohmeyer on this day. 

Other News

General News

School Advisory Council Members:

Thel O’Shea, Hannah Mills, Courtney Portaro, Sandra Hammet, Lana Borchard, Sara McClelland, Jennifer Wilson, Jordan Wade, Adam Lawrence (Staff Rep) & Narelle Gallagher (Principal). 

Change of details:

Please contact the office if you have had a change of details. Phone: 50252258 or Email: admin@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au

Bell Times

SIMON Everywhere App

This can be downloaded from either the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.  The app has been updated earlier this year and an email was sent out to parents.  If you are having issues with logging in, can you please contact Mia in the office. 

Student Medical Profile

Medical Profile: Please make sure that the school has been notified of any changes that have been made to your child’s Medical Profile on PAM and to also include this on the pink Parental Authority and Consent Form each year. 

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT TO MAKE OLSH AWARE OF ANY CHANGES.

Parent Notified Absence

If your child is unwell and will be absent from school, you are able to complete a Parent Notified Absence (PNA) on the SIMON Everywhere App or Parent Access Module (PAM) which will automatically notify the teacher and a text message will not be sent.

Newsletters

These are distributed every Friday on SIMON Everywhere and the OLSH Website. Please contact us if at any time you have any queries or require any further explanation about events, dates etc. Any items for the newsletter are asked to be handed in at the office by 9.00am on Friday.

Attendance & Sign in

A reminder to parents that the school needs to be notified of a student absence by 10 am on the day.  This can be done by calling the school office or by using SIMON Everywhere or sending an email to admin@olsmerbein.catholic.edu.au.

Second Hand Uniform

Please contact the school if you require any second hand uniform.