Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School East Warrnambool eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Our Grade 4 students have created personalised Acknowledgement of Country posters that reflect their own thoughts, feelings and wishes. We will share a new poster each week.

Prayer

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

This week I have had the opportunity to attend the Australian Catholic Education Conference alongside many fellow Principals and leaders in Catholic Education. A strong theme of the conference and the key note address was hope. What are the signs of hope that we see in our schools and how does this intercede with our faith? As I listened to various leaders share their reality in their schools and parishes, I was left feeling incredibly grateful for where I work. I feel we as a school do provide hope for our community of learners, and our actions prioritise others, just as Jesus modelled for us in his life. To be Catholic and Christlike in my view is to be humble, welcoming and a servant to others. My wish is that you have hope in your life and that our school environment contributes positively to this end.

Important Dates

Term 3

Friday 29th August - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Literacy PD

Saturday 30th August - Yr 4 First Eucharist Celebration

Friday 5th September - Father's Day Breakfast

Friday 5th September - 3RW Assembly

Sunday 7th September - Father's Day

8th - 18th September - Yr 5 Swimming Program

Friday 12th September - FSD Assembly

Thursday 18th September - Grandparents Day

Friday 19th September - 6OB Assembly - Time to be confirmed

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

Student recount writing about the YR. 2 BIG NIGHT OUT

On Thursday the 14th of August 2025 we went out for dinner and to the theatre. We went to Images Restaurant. I got pizza and chips. The food was great! I sat next to Theo. We walked to the theatre and when we got inside we got to hold toys, but when the show was over we had to give the toys back.

We all got a signed Velveteen Rabbit book. My favourite characters were the Rabbit, Foxy and Director Bear. We had a great time.

Harvey Goss 2SS

After school on Thursday the 14th of August we went out for dinner and I had lasagne and chips. After that we went to the theatre and watched the Velveteen Rabbit. We got to have a toy. Mine was a bear. He was very snuggly. There were four characters and one was called Lobster Boy - he was very funny. Some people got to go up on the stage and act and some people answered questions on the microphone. At the end of the show we all got a book of the Velveteen Rabbit and when I got home I read the book and it was amazing.

Edith Wilde 2SS

Book Week

Technology Toolkit with Ms Fitzgerald and Ms O'Keeffe

A space providing weekly snapshots of student learnings, as well as online safety tips and relevant technology updates. Please reach out with any questions:

Ms O’Keeffe: nokeeffe@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au (Mon & Tues)

Ms Fitzgerald: efitzgerald@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au (Wed, Thurs & Fri)

Discord

In some Digital Technology lessons, there has been a bit of chatter around the app ‘Discord’. We thought this would be a good time to share a link about the app if you are not familiar and know that your child is on it.

Age: 13+

About: It is an online social chat platform regularly used by gamers. It lets you communicate via messaging, video chat, pictures and voice notes. Users are able to send files and use AI functions to create prompts and images.

Link for more information and how you can create a safer experience if your child is using the app:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/esafety-guide/discord

Sports Report

Grade 4 Basketball – Warrnambool City District Competition

On Tuesday, 23 students from Grade 4 represented our school in the Warrnambool City District Basketball Competition.

It was a fantastic day, with everyone showing great improvement and teamwork throughout. All three teams started strongly, each recording a solid win early in the day.

The Mixed Team worked exceptionally well together, going undefeated—finishing with two impressive wins against St Joseph’s and East.

The Girls Team also went undefeated. The girls should be very proud of the way they supported one another and played as a team all day.

The Boys Team had a very close game against East, narrowly going down 10–12. Their best performance came against the eventual winners, St Joseph’s, in a hard-fought match. The boys held their heads high and showed great determination.

A big thank you to Mrs Davey, Ava, and Nicole for their coaching and support throughout the day.

We also greatly appreciate the help of older students who had the day off from Emmanuel and came along to support—thank you to Oscar Auld and Marli Moore for giving their time and encouragement.

Basketball tournament - From Nate, Archie, Kobi and Ari

On the 19th of August all the five schools around Warrnambool competed in a basketball tournament at Emmanuel College.

There were three teams representing our school: a boys team, a girls team and a mixed team.

The O.L.H.C girls and the mixed team went undefeated for the day and came home with the trophy, but unfortunately the boys team came 3rd overall with some tough competition.

Some highlights of the day were Banjo with an unbelievable behind the back three pointer and Freddie with a buzzer beater and the boys team winning by 25 points.

It was really fun to play basketball with our friends and meet new people.

We all felt happy when we scored and we learnt new skills and played well together.

We would like to thank Mr. K for practises and organising the tournament and the coaches and all the scores and refs and all the parents for coming to watch. We would also like to thank Emmanual for letting us use their courts.

We had such a great day playing basketball at Emmanuel College.

Spirit of Our Lady's Award

Roody Collishaw

Halle Neeson

Willow Taylor

Annabel Rea

Alex McMillan

Thijs Karunarathne

Faith & Culture

Parish Office Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

webpage : https://www.southwestcoastparish.com.au/

Weekend Masses

Saturday Vigil

6:00pm OLHC, Warrnambool East

Sunday Morning

9:00am Infant Jesus, Koroit

9:00am St Pius X, Warrnambool West

10:30am St Joseph’s, Warrnambool

10:30am St Patrick’s, Port Fairy

6:00pm St Joseph’s Warrnambool

*11:00am St Anne’s, Purnim

2nd Sunday of the month (Eucharist)

Weekday Masses

NB: MASS OF THE DAY IS REPLACED WHEN A FUNERAL IS HELD AT THAT CHURCH

Tues 10:00am St Pius X

Wed 10:00am St Joseph’s

Thu 10:00am OLHC & 11:00am Mercy Place

Fri 10:00am St Joseph’s

Sat 10:00am OLHC

2025 OLHC SACRAMENTAL DATES

YEAR 4 FIRST EUCHARIST

SATURDAY AUGUST 23RD & SATURDAY AUGUST 30TH

Sacrament of First Communion - held over two weekends
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool.

Striving Through the Narrow Door –
Faith in Action: The Educators Challenge
(Luke 13: 22 - 30)

Jesus said, “A lot of you are going to assume that you sit down to God’s salvation banquet just because you’ve been hanging around the neighbourhood all your lives. Well, one day you’re going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you’ll find the door locked and the Master saying, ‘Sorry, you’re not on my guest list.’” (Luke 13: 23 - 24)

As Catholic educators, these words from Luke challenge us to examine the paths we walk – not just in our personal faith, but in the way we lead and nurture the young minds entrusted to us. The “narrow door” is not a symbol of exclusion; it is an invitation to intentional living, thoughtful teaching, and courageous guidance. It calls us to strive, to persevere, and to prioritise what truly matters in our vocation.

In the classroom, this might mean choosing depth over breadth, fostering genuine encounters over routine tasks, or inviting students to reflect on their values rather than merely ticking boxes. It reminds us that our work isn’t simply about delivering content – it’s about opening doors for students to encounter God’s love, to recognise their dignity, and to develop the moral courage to make Christ-centred choices.

The challenge Jesus presents is not easy. Striving through the narrow door asks for discernment, creativity, and sometimes a willingness to step outside our comfort zones. It invites us to model resilience, compassion, and integrity, showing students that faith and knowledge are not separate paths but intertwined journeys.

The Narrow Gate at Maple Street

Every Tuesday morning, the neighbourhood church buzzed with life. Children’s laughter spilled into the streets, parents chatted over coffee, and teachers from the local school dropped by after morning drop-offs. Among them was Maria, a veteran high school teacher, juggling lesson plans, parish volunteer work, and the subtle chaos of her own family life.

One Tuesday, during a short break in the hustle, a young man approached her. “Maria, I’ve been trying to be a good person,” he said, nervously twisting the strap of his backpack. “I pray sometimes, I help people when I can ... but is that enough? Will I get in?”

Maria paused. His question reminded her of a verse she’d read that morning in Luke 13: “Strive to enter through the narrow door ...” The words weren’t a threat – they were a challenge. She realised this young man, like so many, wanted an easy ticket to salvation without the daily effort God calls us to.

“Listen,” she said gently, “it’s not about checking boxes. It’s about living fully – loving boldly, forgiving quickly, teaching with patience, and showing up even when it’s inconvenient. The door is narrow because it requires courage. It asks you to stand for what’s right, even when everyone else is quiet. It asks you to give yourself away, not just your time or money.”

He looked unsure. Maria smiled. “Start with one small act today. Hold the door for someone who feels invisible. Speak kindly to a co-worker who’s struggling. Invite someone new to your parish group. These little steps? They are how you practice walking through the narrow door.”

As he left, Maria glanced at the classroom windows across the street, watching her students arrive. She thought of her own family, her parish, the lessons she’s teach that day – not just in history or literature, but in life. The narrow door wasn’t far away or impossible. It was right here, in ordinary moments, in the choices that required love over convenience, action over apathy.

And for everyone who chose to walk through it, God’s welcome was already waiting.

Wellbeing

If you want to learn to ride a skateboard or get better at maths, you need to practise. It’s the same when you want to feel happier!

Here are some easy ideas to give Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy a try every day. Because the more you practise, the better you will feel.

Let's Practice!

**A reminder to parents, carers and grandparents that SchoolTV** is a free resource.
SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that we have to support you with the challenges relating to modern-day parenting. This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
In addition to the weekly topic we publish in our newsletter, all of the SchoolTV topics are always accessible through our school website under the Student Wellbeing section. You can also use this link: https://olhcwarrnambool.catholic.schooltv.me/category-latest-newsletter
There are videos from experts as well as a huge range of websites, books, apps, fact sheets and podcasts.
If you require any further information about SchoolTV, please contact Mel (mwillis@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au)

Tap here to access SchoolTV

This exclusive, one-off event is fast approaching and we’d love to see your families benefit from the insights of two of Australia’s leading experts, Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.

They will share invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part III)
DATE: Wednesday, 3 September 2025
TIME: 7:30 pm

Topics in this webinar include: