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

We pray for all who will experience difficulty, may we support, may we listen, may we change.

We resolve to live life in its fullness: we will welcome the people who’ll be part of our term.
We will greet God in ordinary and hidden moments. We will live the life we are living.

This weekend and always may we find the wisdom we need, may we hear the needs of those we meet, may we love the life that we are given!

Amen

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

Another busy week at OLHC with 2026 Foundation interviews continuing and Parent-Teacher conferences. No one mocks teachers quite like the writers of The Simpsons. The episode where the answer book was lost and the ensuing chaos in the staffroom is a classic scene as is the one which shows Homer yelling at Bart’s teacher from his moving car (e.g. the Loop) saying “this counts as a parent teacher conference!!”. My favourite however, has a dig at both of us and is this wonderful banner.

School and life in general feels like it has become so serious and occasionally it may serve us well to stand back and relax a little, smile and laugh at ourselves. I will try to walk the talk in this regard as we navigate through the busyness of each wonderful week of school life.

This week I also started our ARMS meetings. ARMS are the Annual Review Meetings I conduct with our individual teaching staff. They provide an opportunity for each staff member to reflect on their achievements to date, ongoing challenges, as well as their reflections on their professional learning goals, which are set each year. These meetings allow me to provide feedback, gratitude and any observations I may have made. We also look ahead to 2026 and beyond to see where their preference for work placement is at OLHC. It certainly isn't a “choose your own adventure“ scenario, but I do listen and consider their requests. Staffing is one of the most important and complex things I do in my varied role and considerable time and thought goes into these decisions. Next week I will get a chance to catch up with both the SAC (School Advisory Council) on Monday night and the PFA (Parents and Friends) on Wednesday evening. No wonder the weeks fly by.

Keep warm and safe.

Steve

Important Dates

Term 3

Monday 4th August - SAC Meeting

Wednesday 6th August - PFA Meeting

Friday 8th August - Division Lawn Bowls

Friday 8th August - 2SS Assembly

Saturday 9th August - First Eucharist Presentation Mass

Thursday 14th August - Yr 2 Big Night Out

Tuesday 19th August - Yr 4 District Basketball

Friday 22nd August - Yr 6 District Basketball

Friday 22nd August - 4MS Assembly

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

9th - 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

A Message from Mr A

NAPLAN- TOP ACHIEVERS

We received our NAPLAN results for Levels 3 and 5 this term and individual results were sent home to parents. These results form one piece of the collective puzzle when assessing previous efforts and contemplating future improvement. It is a great opportunity to celebrate individual student achievement. You may have heard me say this before, but we do a great job of recognising the sporting achievements of our students, and it's important to also recognise individual academic achievement. Below are our top achievers for the 5 assessments the students complete. Well done to these students and special mention to Olivia Moore, Emily Bunting and Arlo Drew who topped two categories each. A fantastic effort!

GRADE 3

GRADE 5

Reading- Hugo Dwyer

Writing- Olivia Moore

Spelling- Olivia Moore

Grammar and Punctuation- Samantha Tims

Maths- Murphy Castle

Reading- Emily Bunting

Writing- Owen Ryan

Spelling- Arlo Drew

Grammar and Punctuation- Emily Bunting

Maths- Arlo Drew

FOUNDATION PET PARADE

On Tuesday, our Foundation level kicked off their Inquiry unit, Fur Feathers and Fins, with a pet parade in the courtyard. The students had an opportunity to get on the mic and introduce their pet followed by a trick or something interesting about their chosen animal.

GRADE 1- CRAFTERNOON

Our Grade 1 level kicked off their Inquiry unit, Think, Design, Create on Thursday with the old favourite Crafternoon. We were well supported by parent helpers and it was great to see some dads in to help the students. The students participated in a rotation of activities, with the Grade 1 area a buzz of activity and excitement.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks,

Naish

Library

After reading "The Letter Writer" by Binny Talib, the Grade 2s wrote postcards to the Grade 1/2s at St Pius, West Warrnambool. 2SS were thrilled to receive postcards from the grade 1/2s from St Pius this week!

Entrance to the hall looking good!

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)

Swimming between the digital flags: helping young Australians navigate social media’s dangerous currents

Australian eSafety Commissioners address to the Press Club. Available to watch on the National Press Clubs Facebook page or the following as the script to read: https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/swimming-between-the-digital-flags-helping-young-australians-navigate-social-medias-dangerous-currents

Julie Inman Grant speaks to the National Press Club on how much the online world has changed in the past 7 years since her last address and how important it is that we are taking the precautions to keep our children safe online.

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

TUESDAY AUGUST 5TH:

Formation Day (Students and Miss Squires)
10am - 2pm at St Pius, Warrnambool

SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH:

Presentation of First Communion Candidates
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool.

SATURDAY AUGUST 23RD & SATURDAY AUGUST 30TH

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

Rich in What Really Matters
(Luke 12: 13 - 21)

Speaking to the people, Jesus went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12: 15)

In Luke’s Gospel, we meet a man who wants Jesus to settle a family dispute over inheritance. Jesus responds, not with legal advice, but with a parable – a story about a rich man whose focus is squarely on accumulating more stuff, building bigger sheds, and kicking back to enjoy his “success.” But just as he’s patting himself on the back, God reminds him: “This very night your life will be demanded of you.” Ouch. It’s a wake-up call, and not just for him – for us, too.

So what’s the message here for us, as Catholic educators and staff?

It’s this: Don’t get distracted by the wrong kind of success. In a world that constantly measures value in numbers – grades, rankings, resources, likes, followers – it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking more means better. But Jesus flips the script. He asks us not to stockpile worldly treasures, but to be “rich toward God.”

In the context of our schools, that richness looks like compassion, patience, justice, inclusion, and love. It looks like the teacher who sees the struggling student and quietly builds them up. The office staff who greet every family like they’re part of the community. The leadership teams making decisions with heart and mission in mind. The groundskeepers, support staff, volunteers – every person who, in big and small ways, puts people before prestige and love before labels.

It's not about ignoring outcomes or being careless with resources – of course we aim high. But our real “riches” are the relationships we build, the values we live out, and the faith we pass on – not through preaching, but by being living examples of Gospel joy.

Let’s remind ourselves that in Catholic education, our sheds don’t need to be bigger – they just need to be open. Open to community. Open to grace. Open to the kind of success that can’t be measured on paper but is deeply felt in the heart.

So this week, let’s go about our work with joy, with purpose, and with the confidence that when we invest in kindness, faith, and love – we’re already rich in what matters most.

The Shed

Marcus had always been a “fix-it” guy.

He ran a successful small business, loved his tools, and was proud of the life he’d built. Behind his house stood his pride and joy: the shed. It started off as a humble space for gardening gear, but over the years, it grew. He extended it, insulated it, and filled it with the best tools money could buy. Tools for jobs he hadn’t even needed yet.

He’d often joke with his mates, “If the apocalypse hits, come to my shed – we’ll rebuild the world from there!’

But over time, something started to shift. His teenage daughter stopped asking for help with her homework. His wife spent more evenings at her mum’s place. The neighbours – new to the street – never stayed long when he waved hello.

Then one night, standing in the shed, surrounded by all his stuff, Marcus suddenly felt ... empty.

He had everything he thought he needed. But something was missing.

The next day, instead of going to Bunnings again, Marcus walked across the street and introduced himself properly to his neighbours. He offered to help with a leaky tap. That weekend, he invited a few people over for a BBQ – not to show off the shed, just to connect.

And bit by bit, something changed. Laughter returned to his home. His daughter opened up again. He spent less time building walls and more time opening doors.

One evening, he looked around – not at his tools, but at the people gathered in his backyard – and thought, “This ... this is what being rich really feels like.”

What’s your shed? What are you building, storing, or clinging to – when maybe it’s time to open the door and share life more deeply with others?

Let’s be the people who don’t just accumulate stuff – but who invest in love, connection, and faith. Let’s be rich in what truly matters.

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

Friendship & Belonging

“The ability to obtain, maintain and retain friendships is, according to all the childhood psychologists in the whole wide world, the greatest predictor of wellbeing. Having a rich repertoire of friends is a true indicator of whether your child is travelling ok.”

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

https://olhcwarrnambool.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/friendship-belonging

https://olhcwarrnambool.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter-article/7192/8074