25 - 22nd August, 2025 - Term 3, Week 5
Principal's News
Dear Families,
This week our Junior unit completed their swimming program, with daily trips to Mildura Waves. All students thoroughly enjoyed the week, with the swimming teachers commenting on how well the students listened and participated. I think there will be some tired students tonight! Swimming Week can be quite disruptive to our usual timetable, with changes of snack, lunch and learning times, but everyone coped very well! Thanks to our staff for their flexibility this week and to the students for representing our school so well!
Next Tuesday is Athletics Day, with all events taking place at the Aerodrome Ovals. Details for the day have been sent out via Seesaw and in the newsletter over the past weeks. The main theme of the day will be to compete to the best of our abilities and to give everything a go, but we do encourage students to add a bit of colour to their sports uniform by wearing a t-shirt in your team’s colours (green for McAuley and gold for Gleeson), some ribbons in your hair, a tutu, coloured socks or other accessories, to add some extra fun to the day. All students must wear their sports shorts and runners, so that they can perform at their best. There will be a coffee van present for parents and spectators only – parents are asked not to purchase drinks or food for students from this van. Thank you to the parents who have offered their assistance to help run events or cook the BBQ – this is fantastic, as it allows teachers to move around with their class instead of running events. The day will not run smoothly without parent assistance, so please contact the school or Mr. Breewel if you can help. It is never too late to pitch in!
One main detail to note is that students will be dropped off and picked up from the ovals on the day. The program of events will take up the usual school day, and no students will be permitted to leave until after all events and presentations have taken place. We are hoping that the weather will be kind to us, but at the time of writing the newsletter, some rain is predicted! Hopefully this forecast will change as the day gets closer, but we will let families know by Monday afternoon if any changes need to be made. Keep your fingers crossed!
On Friday, October 31st, staff will take part in our final Structured Literacy Professional Development for the year. This day will be a pupil-free day and leads us into the Melbourne Cup weekend. In past years, OLSH has used the Monday before Melbourne Cup Day as a Report Writing day, giving families a four-day weekend, so this year with the Structured Literacy Day on Friday, this will become a five-day weekend! Hopefully this is a good opportunity for families to have a small break before the rush of Christmas planning begins! Below are the dates for your calendars:
- Friday 31st October – Pupil-free (Structured Literacy)
- Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November – weekend
- Monday 3rd November – Report Writing day
- Tuesday 4th November – Melbourne Cup holiday
The final day of the school year for students will be Wednesday, 17th of December. Staff will complete their First Aid training on Thursday 18th December and finish for the year on Friday, 19th December.
We have had a great response to our Father’s Day Breakfast on September 5th so far, with orders for bacon and egg rolls coming in thick and fast! If you haven’t done this yet, please log onto your CDF Pay account and complete your order. We look forward to seeing our dads at school to enjoy breaky and some classroom activities with the students! Our assembly on Father's Day will take place in the afternoon due to the morning activities.
Information about school camps for several grades has been sent out today. Please read this carefully and complete any necessary permissions.
Enjoy the weekend!
Narelle Gallagher
Links:
Enrolments at OLSH:
OLSH Calendar:
Religious Education News
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
Fathers Day BBQ/Celebrations: A reminder to all Dads that we will be celebrating Father's Day on Friday September 5th 2025.
Joseph was the father of Jesus and was always there to guide and support Jesus. He worked hard and provided for his family. Like Joseph, our fathers play an important role within our families. So lets make sure we gather on September 5th and celebrate these important men in our lives.
Athletics Day - Volunteers
URGENT ATTENTION!!!
We need volunteers to help with our Athletics Day. Please read the information below and if you are able to assist in any way and fill out the form (link below). Please contact the school either by phone: 50 252 258 or be email to Michael Breewel: mbreewel@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.
Athletics Day
On Tuesday August 26th 2025, all OLSH children will participate in the annual Athletics Day. This will take place at the Mildura Little Athletics Track on 11th Street. Some of the times have changed so please check the timetable below.
All children will need to be dropped off at the track by 8:45am and collected from the track by 3:25pm. There will be NO BUSES being used, therefore it will be the responsibility of each family to ensure their child/ren are dropped off and collected from the above address.
Children will need to be dressed in their full PE uniform and can wear items that display their house colours (Green or Yellow). They will need to bring a drink bottle (filled with water), hat, snacks and lunch if your child does not have a sausage in bread.
There will be a sausage sizzle available for students only on the day. Each child will be given two sausages in bread. Students are welcome to bring along additional food if they would like.
If any families are available to assist on the day with roles such as running events, cooking and serving the BBQ, etc. please contact the school or Michael Breewel at mbreewel@olshmerbein.catholic.
All children will move around the different events in their age groups. Below is a guide to the times (remember this is a guide only, times may change):
- 9:00 - 9:40 - Sprints and Finals
- 9:45 - 11:10 - Events
- 11:15 - 11:35 - RECESS
- 11:40 - 1:35 - Events Cont.
- 1:35 - 2:00 - LUNCH
- 2:00 - 3:00 - Relays/Novelties/Presentation/Clean Up
We look forward to another successful Athletics day!
There will be a coffee van at our Athletics Day for parents only.
Mini Olympics
Children will be selected to represent OLSH at the Mini Olympics on Tuesday September 2nd. Those selected will be based on results from our Athletics Day and meet the standards set out by Athletics Victoria. More information will follow after our Athletics Day.
Father's Day Breakfast
Orders are to be completed by Monday, 1st September
Student Leader News
Recycle Bottles & Cans
The Student Leaders have organized an account for donated bottles and cans. If you have refundable bottles and cans, you can recycle them at any CDS container refund depots in Mildura and scan the barcode below. This will donate the money directly to the Student Leaders to go towards new equipment for the students!
Thank you, OLSH Student Leaders
Happy Birthday
We wish the following students a Happy Birthday:
Month of August:
- 1st - Patrick C - 6 yrs
- 1st - Wynter D - 6 yrs
- 4th - Knox A - 7 yrs
- 5th - River H- 9 yrs
- 8th - Ilario M - 8 yrs
- 9th - Isabelle H - 8 yrs
- 14th - Michele D - 12 yrs
- 16th - Sonny P - 11 yrs
- 22nd - Romeo D - 8 yrs
- 23rd - Pandora H - 7 yrs
- 24th - Julius M - 8 yrs
- 25th - Libby Giddings - 12 yrs
- 26th - Adriano C - 7 yrs
- 26th - Isabel M - 8 yrs
- 27th - Aston M - 11 yrs
Student of the Week
| Class: | Awarded to: | For: |
| Grade Prep : | Indi Meyer | showing wonderful enthusiasm and effort during Performing Arts lessons. |
| Grade Prep : | Patrick Chirgwin | his wonderful improvement during Phonics, Reading and Writing lessons. |
| Grade 1 : | Violet Blore | improving with her knowledge of fact families and writing subtraction equations. |
| Grade 1 : | Knox Arnold | makind a huge improvement with staying on task and making great choices. |
| Grade 2 : | Harrison Gadzinski | for showing great improvement with his handwriting and taking pride in his work. |
| Grade 2 : | Indi Barnes | working hard to improve the complexity of her sentences by using conjunctions. |
| Grade 3 : | Tori O'Shea | always approaching new concepts with a positive attitude |
| Grade 3 : | Harriet Parker | always approaching new concepts with a positive attitude |
| Grade 4 : | Jake Borchard | his ability to shoot amazing goals when playing 'Golden Child'. |
| Grade 4 : | Esther Smith | making a wonderful start on her research project about Zimbabwe. |
| Grade 5 : | Evelyn Matulic | always approaching every task with a positive attitude and always giving her full effort. |
| Grade 5 : | Charlie Cowling | his great efforts in Mathematics |
| Grade 6 : | Alice Parker | having a go at more complex, challenging tasks. |
| Grade 6 : | Chloe Shaw-Robinson | having the courage to speak up in all situations. |
OLSH Canteen
Orders need to be completed by 9.15am every Friday.
Prep News
Athletics Day- On Tuesday we have our Atheltics Day at the Aero Ovals. Please make sure students arrive on time and have everything they need, including a waterbottle. Please see information eariler in the newsletter or on Seesaw.
The Junior teachers have begun planning for our Junior Unit Activity Day and Grade 1/2 Sleepover. This is happening on the 12th of September. A letter was sent home today with more information and permission needs to be completed on Simon. Don't forget the $30 needs to be paid to the office. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Show and Tell- Week 6’s topic is ‘Free Choice’.
Swimming- We have had a very busy week of swimming lessons. Students have managed really well and have developed over each session. Thank you to everyone for being organised everyday!
Swimming
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Rebecca Appledore- rappledore@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 1 News
It has been a very busy and exciting week for the Grade 1s with swimming lessons! The students did a fantastic job following instructions and showing responsibility while out of the school grounds and they should all feel very proud of themselves.
Next week we look forward to Athletics Day on Tuesday. Please remember that students are to be dropped off and picked up from the oval.
After such a big week, a good rest over the weekend will be well deserved. I look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for another great week ahead!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Grace Laity- glaity@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 2 News
The Grade Twos have had a fantastic week participating in swimming lessons. They have all done a great job getting changed each day and looking after their belongings. The swim instructors have all praised them for their good behaviour which is wonderful to hear. I think everyone has made progress with their swimming skills and confidence over the week.
Please make sure you have read all the information that has been shared over the past few weeks in regards to Athletics Day. Please note - no buses will be available on the day and parents are responsible for the drop-off and pick-up of their child/ren. Please come and see me and let me know when your child has arrived and when you are leaving with them at the end of the day.
A note has gone home today with details of our Grade One and Two Sleepover. Please let me know if you have any questions in regards to this very exciting event!
Have a great weekend!
Lisa
Swimming
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Lisa Ryan - lryan@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 3 News
The Grade Three students have all done a wonderful job adjusting to a change in teacher this week!
In Literacy and Science we have been learning about the Ice Age and rising sea levels as examples of liquids freezing and solids melting. We've also moved on to weather and climates in Geography- the students have had lots of questions and it has been fantastic to see their curiosity and engagement in the topic!
The Grade Threes will be presenting at Assembly in Week 7, which will be held after lunch due to the Father's Day activities in the morning. They're very excited to share with you what they have been working on!
A reminder that OLSH Athletics Day will be held at the Aero Ovals next Tuesday 26th August. Parents need to drop their children off and pick them up at the end of the carnival. Please refer to newsletter for details.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Sophie Lohmeyer- slohmeyer@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 4 News
This week, our students had the exciting opportunity to take part in the online book launch of You and Me and the Peanut Butter Beast, the latest release by much-loved author Andy Griffiths. The event generated a real buzz and we’re sure many students will be eager to get their hands on a copy!
In our Civics and Citizenship lessons, we’ve been exploring the different types of groups people belong to and how these groups can help shape individual identity. Students have been reflecting on how being part of a group can influence behaviour, beliefs and interests, leading to some thoughtful and engaging discussions.
A couple of reminders for upcoming events:
- OLSH Athletics Day will be held at the Aero Ovals next Tuesday 26th August. Parents need to drop their children off and pick them up at the end of the carnival. Please refer to newsletter for details.
- Father’s Day breakfast is on Friday 5th September.
- School Disco will be on Thursday 18th September.
- Footy Colours Day and end of Term Three - Friday 19th September.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Julie Phelan – jphelan@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
(Friday's): Emma Garraway - ewood@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 5 News
Well done Grade Five! They did a great performance today of The Paper Bag Princess. Students have been busy this week continuing work on their Country Project. They have been learning to turn their information into paragraphs and how to best make use of their time.
Next week, the online information and medical forms etc... for the Five Six camp will be sent out.
Below you can see the Angry Emus the students completed this week in Art.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email: Adam Lawrence- alawrence@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 6 News
It has been another productive week in the classroom. In Maths, we explored common fractions, area and perimeter, and how graphs can sometimes be misleading. Students have also been making excellent progress on their Asia research projects and are nearly finished creating their good copies in Canva. In Art, we have been inspired by Asian culture and this week created silhouettes of the Great Wall of China. The students enjoyed showcasing their creativity in this task!
Athletics Day – Tuesday 26th August
Next Tuesday is Athletics Day at the Aerodrome Ovals. Please remember:
Students need to be dropped off and picked up from Aerodrome Ovals.
They are welcome to dress up in their house colours.
Bring a drink bottle and a snack.
A sausage sizzle lunch will be provided.
Father’s Day Breakfast – Friday 5th September
We are excited to celebrate our dads and father figures with a Father’s Day Breakfast. Don’t forget to get your breakfast orders in! After breakfast, students will enjoy some classroom activities with their dads.
A reminder that Miss Ford will be in teaching Grade Six on Fridays until the end of term, which started today.
It sounds like most weekend Winter sport is starting to wrap up. If this is the case for your family, I hope you enjoy a well earned rest this weekend before the Summer season begins!
Breanna
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Breanna Meyer - bmeyer@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
- Sophie Lohmeyer - slohmeyer@olshmerbein.catholic.edu
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
8.30am | Supervision of students begin. Classrooms remain closed. |
8.45am | Classrooms are opened for preparation time. |
8.55am | Organisational bell (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
9.00am | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
11.00am | Recess bell. |
11.25am | Organisational bell (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
11.30am | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
1.30pm | Lunch bell. |
1.40pm | Students are to finish eating and then go to play. |
2.20pm | Organisational bell rings (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
2.25pm | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
3.10pm | NSW bus bell. |
3.25pm | End of day bell rings. |
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.
