OLHC News Issue 2 Term 1 Week 2 - 7th February 2025
Our Lady Help of Christians is a Child Safe School and is committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Japagulk peoples as the traditional custodians of the land upon which our school was built.
Principal Report
Dear Parents and Friends of Our Lady's,
The school year has got off to a great start! Staff and students have had a productive week, getting stuck into learning, watching the building come together before our eyes, and celebrating the new year with a welcome bbq.
Thank you to all our families who joined us on Wednesday for the welcome bbq. It was great to come together, catch up, play some cricket, and share a meal. As I always say, the better we can cooperate between the home and the school, the better the outcomes for our children. If you would like to make a time to speak about your individual child, please do so.
It's a busy newsletter this week, so please let me draw your attention to a few important items:
- Kelly Woods introduction
- Mental Health article
- Student Free Day this coming Thursday (13th February)
- Opening School Mass this Wednesday (12th February)
Finally, in your child's school bag today, you will find a letter from La Trobe University relating to a project we are participating in this year. The Aurora project assists our school in developing a better literacy program that is structured, engaging, and evidence-based. Staff are developed to achieve this, and data is used to track our learning and progress. Please read the letter carefully to inform yourself about this exciting project.
All the very best,
Chris McCumstie
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
Opening School Mass
All parents, friends, and parishioners are welcome at the Opening School Mass, this Wednesday 12th February, at 11:30am at St Marys Church Murtoa.
Join us to offer our year to God and to celebrate with thanksgiving the students and staff at our school.
Welcome Mrs Woods
Mrs. Kelly Woods joined our staff this year and it is so great to have her on board!
Kelly is teaching the Senior Class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as Whole School Technologies, Health, and Art.
In addition to her role as a teacher, Kelly will also be our school and community's Mental Health in Primary Schools Leader. In this role, Kelly promotes mental health initiatives, shares information to our students and families, and creates pathways for those in our community who may need additional support. Kelly is well placed to serve our school in this way, with strong connections in the mental health community, prior work with national mental health groups, and a passion for bringing about great outcomes for students and families. See her first article in this week's newsletter.
Kelly and Georgia have made the start of our school year calm, productive, and filled with learning and fun. There is a real buzz around OLHC and we are looking forward to a great year!
Our teachers can be reached at:
kwoods@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
gkirby@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
New School Bus!
An exciting development this year is the addition of a new school bus. The Ford Transit has the capacity to carry eleven students as well as the driver, so the opportunity to go on excursions, to become more involved in community service, and to broaden our extra curricula offerings is fantastic.
Each day, the bus will drive out from Horsham, and Our Lady's primary school is offering a free service for any students wishing to enrol from Horsham or surrounds. The bus leaves Horsham at 8 and returns at 4, and any families who are interested are invited to contact the school.
(03) 5385 2526
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
New Build Update and Photos
We are at an exciting stage in the process of getting a new school. The original building was demoilshed over the Christmas break, and the new modules arrived and were placed on site this week! Temporary office and learning spaces in the Multipurpose Room and Library are working well and will serve us until the new building is ready to move into. Thanks to the staff and students for all the hard work, patience and understanding during an unusual but exciting time!
Mental Health and Wellbeing News
"When I am afraid, I will Trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm56: 3-4
Welcome to the 2025 school year! I am thrilled to be so warmly welcomed into the OHLC
community. As your Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, my role is to help support mental health
in our school and community, be a pathway for support, and to promote mental health and
wellbeing.
My intention for the year is to raise awareness of a number of topics that we all face as well as
resources that can be used both in the classroom and at home to have rich conversations with our
children while ensuring that they are empowered to speak up when needed.
This brings me to my theme for this newsletter: Internet Safety. On Tuesday, 11 th February, it is
Internet Safety Day.
Recently I was on social media when I saw a reel from an influencer talking about
negative messages they had received about content they had posted. The messages were
unpleasant, but rather than screenshotting the messages and re-posting (that initial reaction), they
took the time to ask the person what was happening. After some time, the person who sent the
message admitted that they had been diagnosed with a life-changing illness. The influencer's
message to their followers? Hurt people hurt people. Rather than reacting, take the time to show
empathy – we don't always know what’s going on.
The e-safety commission provided the following statistics:
70% of Australian adults have experienced at least one negative experience online
29% of First Nations children have experienced hate speech online
45% of kids aged 8-17 have been treated in a hurtful way online
32% of gamers aged 8-17 have been bullied while playing games online
The top 5 tips for a safer internet are:
1. Create a kinder world
2. Start the conversation
3. Be mindful
4. Speak up
5. Get support
If you are looking for resources to have conversations about internet safety, please check out this
link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/whats-on/sid/communities-and-families#resources-
for-families. This has been compiled by the Australian Government’s e-safety commission and
provides a number of age-appropriate resources.
I wish you and your families the warmest of blessings for the year ahead, and I am looking forward
to getting to know you all better.
Mrs Woods
Senior class teacher; Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
Message from Mrs. Dalgleish
Library Days for 2025
Juniors - Wednesday 10.00 - 10.30am
Seniors- Wednesday10.30 - 11.00am
Child Safety
Our Lady Help of Christians is a Child Safe School. We implement the 11 Child Safe Standards, and work to embed these in our school culture. Our newsletter is just one place among a number where we educate our community about Child Safety. Below is a concise and helpful guide to the Child Safe Standards. The Child Safety Officer at OLHC is Chris McCumstie, and he can be contacted for information at any time.
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
School TV
The SchoolTV initiative at Our Lady Help of Christians School aims to help parents to navigate the often complex issues they face in raising their children.
Expert advice, helpful tips, and other resources, are available to all our parents and caregivers. Explore the wide range of topics at SchoolTV by clicking on the link below.
Important Upcoming Dates:
February 2025
- Wednesday 12th February - Opening School Mass 11.30am (families/parishioners invited)
- Thursday 13th February - Student Free Day (Staff Professional Development)
- Friday 14th February - Canteen closed- NO Lunch Orders
March 2025
- Teusday 4th March - Shrove Tuesday
- Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Mass 11.30am
April 2025
- Friday 4th - Last Day of Term 1
Mass Times & Parish Information
Sunday 9th February 2025, Livestream at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 9.00am.
2025 Sacramental Program - EARLY ENROLLMENT
Reconciliation – Holy Communion – Confirmation
Reconciliation & Holy Communion is available to children in Year 4 and above.
Confirmation is available for children in Year 6 and above who have
completed Reconciliation & Holy Communion.
Sacramental Program enrolments will be open until 4pm, 14th February, 2025.
If you would like more information or to enrol your child, please visit the Parish Office
at 10 Roberts Ave or Email: wimmeramallee@ballarat.catholic.org.au
Parish Bulletin
Community News
See the attached flyers for initiatives that may interest from Uniting Care and the Minyip Murtoa Burras.
