27 - 5th September, 2025 - Term 3, Week 7

Principal's News

Dear Families,

Our students celebrated those special men in their lives this morning with our Father’s Day Breakfast and activities. It was fantastic to see our OLSH dads enjoying a bacon and egg roll while having a chat with their kids and other dads. After breakfast, dads joined their children in family groups to complete some fun activities. We wish all our dads and other special men in our lives a wonderful day on Sunday and hope you get spoilt!

As you know, there is quite a line up after school for the Kiss and Go, with cars queued up along the row of houses on Box Street. We’d like to remind families that driveways to houses MUST NOT BE BLOCKED in case the residents need access. If possible, leaving a small gap across driveways would prevent our neighbours from becoming frustrated when they need to leave their property. All in all, residents in Box Street are tolerant of the traffic, as it moves reasonably quickly, but it is illegal to block a driveway, and we’d hate to see families getting into trouble. We appreciate your cooperation with this issue.

You might have noticed the bright new shade sails in our playground, which offer more shelter over the decking area and which will be particularly great once the summer sun hits! Our students love to sit on the decking, so we know the sails will be a great addition, and the area can now be used as a learning area as well. Check the sails out next time you are in the school!

The weather is warming up, and I know there are lots of students dying to get into their summer uniforms! From next week, summer uniform can be worn. Please keep in mind that winter uniform is still able to be worn until Week 2 in Term 4, so there is no need to rush out to buy new summer items. Please also keep in mind that students should not be wearing bits and pieces of summer and winter (for example, tights with a summer dress) – it’s one or the other! We appreciate your cooperation with this.

A group of our students took part in the District Mini-Olympics on Tuesday and did themselves and OLSH proud with their performance! All students did their best to compete in their respective events and came back to school very happy! Thanks to Mrs. Lowry for supervising the students with Mr. Breewel. There are some photos further on in the newsletter.

Next Thursday is RU OK? Day around the country and OLSH are acknowledging the day by wearing a splash of yellow, which is the signature colour of the day. We are encouraging all students to add something yellow to their uniform (a ribbon, shoelaces, socks, a flower, hat, etc) and staff will do the same, to highlight the importance of asking others how they are travelling. Students will be doing some learning about how they can check in on their peers to make sure they’re ok and how to navigate their own feelings when times might be a little challenging. Bringing awareness to our own wellbeing and that of those around us could make a big difference.

Once again, we wish a Happy Father's Day to all of our dads! Enjoy your special day!

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: This is a great time of the year to recognise the important role fathers, grandfathers and other males play in our lives. Fathers provide for their families, teach children to become strong, responsible adults and develop their social, emotional and cognitive.  It is an important day to remember the important role Joseph played in the life of Jesus and Mary.

Joseph was the father of Jesus. He is recognised as a model father figure by acting as a devoted, obedient and protective guardian of Mary and Jesus. 

Joseph protected the Holy Family by keeping them safe from those who wished to harm them. As a carpenter, he worked hard to provide for his family.  Joseph was a 'silent guardian' watching over Mary and Jesus with unfailing love and tenderness. 

Father's Day at OLSH!

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OLSH Major Raffle

District Athletics

Congratulations to the following students who represented Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Primary School at the Mini Olympics on Tuesday Septmeber 2nd. 

9/10 Year Olds: Summer Alderson, Jake Borchard, Morgan Dowling, Charlotte Primarano, Elki Garraway, Nash Seymour

11 Year Olds: Levi Davis, Alfie Gebert, Ariana Mazza

12 Year Olds: Isaac Longeri, Shanae Scheer

All students competed very well and should be proud of their efforts. A special mention to Summer Alderson who finished 2nd in the 200m final and has now been selected to attend the Regional Athletics Day in Bendigo in October. 

Thank you to Mrs. Lowry who supervised all the children on the day. 

OLSH Disco

Celebrating Father's Day

Over the centuries, the role of fathers has evolved. During the industrial revolution, fathers were more detached, spending long hours working in factories, whilst mothers took on the role of primary socialiser and educator of children. Men tended to show their love and devotion from a distance, choosing to leave the child rearing to their wives. Today things have changed dramatically with many Dads being celebrated for being sensitive, caring and more hands-on. Research has shown that the amount of time fathers are now spending teaching, helping and playing with their children, has trebled. This has transformed our understanding of how fathers shape their children's lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender. Fathers who involve themselves in physical activity with their children, play a key role in influencing them to learn self-control, face challenges, regulate emotions and take manageable risks. However, to be a great Dad, you need to also indulge in a little self-care and look after your own mental health. This allows you to be more responsive to your child's needs, and engage more readily in play and learning activities. If you are a Dad and struggling a little bit, it is advisable to seek help from a medical professional. Or, if you just want to talk to someone who understands, you can call one of the following organisations. In Australia, phone MensLine on 1300 78 99 78 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36. In New Zealand, contact Healthline on 0800 611 116 or Man Alive on 0800 826 367.

R U OK?Day

Phil Kettle - Clancy of the Outback - A Musical Adventure

Join us way out in Woop Woop for a staged reading of Clancy of the Outback - A Musical Adventure, a brand-new adaptation of the beloved book series by Phil Kettle and Bob Andersen. After a successful industry reading in Melbourne, Marshall & Marrows, in partnership with Salty Theatre, are bringing Mildura locals an exclusive sneak preview of this developing work.

This family-friendly musical adventure tells a universal story of home, acceptance and identity through a uniquely Aussie lens. 1200 kilometres from his old home, 12-year-old Clancy is thrown into the unpredictability of country life with his Mum and the bright, colourful inhabitants of The Overflow. From a pesky paddock bomb to a baby kangaroo, a fearsome flood to a feral frenzy, Clancy will have to deal with all of the outback’s challenges to find his place in the world.

Composer, Co-director and Mildura-born Earl Marrows shares, “With ‘jokes for the parents’, toe-tapping tunes and rich spectacle, we hope everyone can find something to latch onto; big-hearted characters, strong emotions and a whole lot of fun.”

The reading will feature Grammy-nominated and ARIA winner Steven Gates (Tripod) and Green Room Award-nominated Ursula Searle (MTC’s Fun Home), with more talent to be announced soon! Snacks and drinks will be provided on the night, with kids of all ages welcome to attend.

Student of the Week

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 September:

• 4th - Ivy S - 10 yrs
• 5th - Zali G - 8 yrs
• 6th - Thomas C - 11 yrs
• 13th - Evie C - 9 yrs
• 15th - Elki G - 9 yrs
• 16th - Logan T - 6 yrs
• 17th - Wyatt F - 11 yrs
• 17th - Zahleya G - 10 yrs
• 22nd - Oscar H - 10 yrs
• 23rd - Holly C - 12 yrs
• 24th - Ledger B - 8 yrs
• 28th - Chelsea A - 9 yrs

OLSH Canteen

Orders need to be completed by 9.15am every Friday.

Prep News

This week we have been busy making presents for our Dads. We hope all Dads have a great day on the weekend and enjoy the presents students have worked hard on this week!

Activity Day- This is coming up very quickly. Please make sure you have completed the $30 payment to the office and any parents who have volunteered have completed the form that was sent to you. Please let me know if you need another copy.

Show and Tell- Week 8’s topic is ‘Share something that you have made’.

STEM-We will be completing a STEM activity in Week 9. We will need cardboard boxes for this activity (similar in size to A4/A3 paper) and bubble wrap. If you have any please send these in at any time.

On Wednesday I will be out of the classroom all day. Students will have Mrs Garraway!

Grade 1 News

A big thank you to all the dads and special people who joined us for our Father’s Day Breakfast! The students absolutely loved spending this special time with you. They’ve also been busy creating thoughtful gifts for their dads and are very excited to give them out on Sunday.

In Maths this week, we’ve been learning about fact families, creating both addition and subtraction sentences using the same numbers. It’s been a bit tricky, but everyone has done a fantastic job persevering and showing great progress.

In Writing, we continued to focus on editing, especially checking and fixing up punctuation. The students are becoming much more confident and independent with their writing!

In Health, we revisited our different learning zones and talked about using positive self-talk when things get tough. It’s been a great reminder of how to stay motivated and resilient.

Reminder: Our Activity Night and Sleepover is coming up next Friday. Please ensure payment is completed by Thursday.

Next Thursday is R U OK day, please refer to Seesaw for the flyer. Students are to wear full school uniform but can add a pop of yellow to their outfit.

Have a great weekend!

Grade 2 News

The students have had a great week this week, and there has been much excitement leading up to our Father's Day breakfast. We hope all our Dads have a lovely day on Sunday and enjoy the presents that our class made.

In Literacy this week we have continued to work on writing supporting details for given topic sentences. The students have focused on writing complex sentences which contain a conjunction.

In Mathematics, our new topic is multiplication using arrays. The students have written multiplication sentences to match arrays as well as repeated addition sentences.

In Geography, we have been learning about the five oceans of the world. The students were very interested in learning about deep sea exploration and the weird and wonderful sea creatures which live at the bottom of the ocean.

Reminders:

Please ensure you have given permission on SIMON and paid $30 for our 1/2 Sleepover. If you are helping on the evening or staying overnight, you will also need to complete a volunteer form. Please contact the office if you are having any trouble with this. 

Grade Two will host assembly on the last day of Term Three which is also Footy Colours Day. 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the warm weather!

Lisa

Electives: Building Challenges

Grade 3 News

Well done to all the Grade 3's on a wonderful assembly this afternoon!

This week we've continued our work on division in Maths. The students have done a wonderful job picking this up quickly and being able to apply it to worded division problems. In Literacy, we've been writing expanded sentences from a list of notes and putting a question into our response. 

Thank you to all the families who have returned their camp notes. PAM permisison forms went out on Wednesday- please take the time to fill these in with any relevant dietary requirements, medication required or other information we'll need to know. 

Have a wonderful Father's Day!!

Grade 4 News

We hope that all the Dads who came to our special Father's Day breakfast this morning had a yummy breakfast and spent a lovely time with their children. Happy Father's Day to you all for Sunday.

The term is fast drawing to a close, yet there still needs to be many tasks to be completed in regards to our learning.

If your child has not returned their ART FOLIO to school, could this be done ASAP please.

Next Thursday 11th September, we will be acknowledging RU OK? Day. We will be briefly discussing the meaning of RU OK? DAY in class and students are encouraged to wear a splash of yellow on this day.

The school disco will take place the following Thursday 18th September, followed by Footy Colours Day and the last day of Term Three the day after.

Looks like its going to be a lovely weekend!

Enjoy!

Julie

Grade 5 News

It has been a busy week in Grade 5! Students have been working hard on their country projects, which will be finished next week. On Monday, we had another visit from Police Officer Joe, and students also took part in some exciting science experiments about gases as part of our unit on Matter.

Please keep an eye out for some notes coming home. One will be about camp, including details for filling out the online forms. Another camp note will be sent home in the last week of term with a list of items students will need, so you can start gathering them over the holidays. A second note will provide information about the Human Development sessions for Grade Five and Six, which will take place at the end of this term.

Finally, I’d like to wish all the dads a wonderful Father’s Day!

Grade 6 News

Well done to Isaac and Shanae who represented OLSH at Mini Olympics on Tuesday! We are very proud of your efforts. 

On Monday, we had Joe from Police in Schools visit. He spoke to the students about what features to take note of if they are ever in a witness situation. The session finished with a fun activity where students drew a picture of a man based on the clues Joe provided! 

Next week, students will be bringing home some important notes about our upcoming puberty sessions which will begin at the end of next week and continue into Week 9. There will also be another note for camp to confirm what students need to pack This is going out before holidays to ensure everyone has enough time to get things organised. 

Upcoming Dates 

Disco - Thursday 18th September

Footy Colours Day - Friday 19th September 

Last day of term & 2.30pm finish - Friday 19th September 

Grade 5/6 Camp - Monday 13th October - Thursday 16th October 

Finally, I hope all the Dads/father figures have a fantastic Father’s Day on Sunday! Thank you for everything you do! 

Have a nice weekend! 

Breanna Meyer 

Merbein Community Day

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.