OLHC News Issue 4 Term 1 Week 5 - 28th 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,

I'd like to continue sharing with you about some work that our governing body has been developing recently. DOBCEL (Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited) governs Our Lady's and is the system to which our school belongs. After a long period of consultation with principals, school leaders, educationalists, and international experts, DOBCEL has released their 2035 strategy "Pursuing Fullness of Life for All." You can read more about the strategy here or can come in and see me to have a conversation if you'd like more information about the direction of our system.

I believe in Catholic Education, and I am proud to belong to a Catholic system of schools. Catholic Education makes it possible for our staff, students, and families in Murtoa to be connected to a wider network of like-minded schools, united in their work to attain great outcomes for our young people. The holistic education we offer means that our students receive formation not just for their academic progress, but for their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Being a part of a great system like DOBCEL means we get access to expertise, professional support, services to aid student learning, and resources to strengthen our school's offering.

More specifically, I am very proud to be a part of the community at Our Lady's School here in Murtoa. Knowing our strong history in providing faith-based education in the Wimmera, and seeing the next phase in our story coming together each day with our building project, highlights for me the importance of our offering to Murtoa and the surrounds. I am excited to be involved in what we have always offered and what we will continue to offer.

I encourage our community to come by the school, see how close we are to opening our new school building, have conversations about the personalised, evidence-based learning we offer, and find out more about OLHC's future.

All the very best, 

Chris McCumstie

principal@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

Work continues on the new building. It's great to partner with Swanbuild and to see them on site each day taking us closer and closer to our opening date. It's great to see a brand new offering for contemporary education in Murtoa for locals and families in the region. We can't wait to show people through and use our new space!

Junior News

Students have thoroughly enjoyed participating in Science lessons this term. The topic they are learning about is ‘Changing Materials’. The first lesson was ‘What are Materials?’. Students reviewed the five senses, defined and sorted materials. The second lesson looked at ‘Changing Materials’. They learned that materials can be changed through different methods. Students discussed how everyday materials can be changed in a variety of ways and made a list of verbs to describe changes. The next lesson focused on ‘Describing Changes’. In this lesson, they used adjectives and verbs to describe a variety of different materials/objects. In the fourth lesson students looked at ‘Bending and Twisting’. This lesson was hands-on, where students investigated materials that could be bent or twisted and completed an experiment.

Fruit Break and Lunch Orders

Fruit Break

At 10.00am each day the children stop for a fruit break. The main reason for this is because the children don’t eat lunch until 1.30pm and that makes a long stretch from Recess to Lunch. It also provides students with a brain break from learning and the opportunity to briefly socialise and get fresh air.

Please send Fresh Fruit/vegetables (whole or cut) with your child each day.

Lunch Orders

It has always been the school’s policy to allow lunch orders on Fridays, but not to include the soft drinks that are listed on the canteen menu.  If your child has a lunch order, please remember not to include soft drinks- there are other options.

Health facts- caffeine (found in popular soft drinks) can negatively affect health outcomes and can negatively impact a child's attention and behaviour at school.

Shrove Tuesday

On Shrove Tuesday, (4th March) we will be offering pancakes, with a variety of toppings, to the children at Recess.

Parents are welcome to join us at 11.20am

Ash Wednesday

Lent is a time in the Christian Church calendar that is a preparation time for Easter. During Lent we remember the forty days which Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert. We are called to turn away from our selfishness and to grow closer to God’s love. We try to share the world’s resources and think of others before ourselves. The Project Compassion theme for Lent this year is 

Unite Against Poverty this Lent

On Ash Wednesday we will have Mass at 9.30am at St Marys in Murtoa. Parents, friends and parishioners are welcome.

Smimming - Water Safety & Awarness

Water Safety & Awareness Program will run for 3 weeks at the Murtoa Pool from 10am - 11.00am (dates below). Transport to and from the pool on Our Lady's bus.

• Tuesday 25th February
• Tuesday 4th March
• Tuesday 11th March 

• Students are to bring bathers, towel, rashie, goggles (optional) and a plastic bag for wet clothes.
• Sunscreen will be provided.
• Cost will be covered for each student. 
• Permission Form on Simon

Wimmera Mallee Field Days

We are excited to attend an excursion to Wimmera Machinery Field Days on Wednesday, 5th March from 11.00am to 2.00pm. It's an opportunity to get out and about in our new school bus and to learn about our region and its main industry. 

Students need to:

• Wear school uniform and hat
• Take lunch
• Water bottle
• Permission form on Simon
• No cost

Mental Health and Wellbeing News

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

This week has been a busy week in the Mental Health and Wellbeing space. I had the pleasure of attending the Mental Health expo at Sawyer Park in Horsham, and attend the first session for our school at the Mental Health in Primary Schools workshop.

In Horsham I discovered a number of services available to the community, which I will summarise below:

The Satellite Foundation: provides free camps, programs, retreats and workshops that explore themes of creativity, mental health and lived/living experiences.  They define mental health as any diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness, family breakdown, anxiety, neurodivergence, loss, grief, intergenerational trauma, alcohol and other (AOD) use, gambling, addiction, family violence and everything in between.

Mental Health & Wellbeing Connect (Grampians): Available as a phone service or peer support workers in Ballarat, Horsham and soon to be in Nhill. They support family members, carers, kin and supporters of people with mental health and/or substance use challenges.

Uniting Care Vic Tas (Horsham): Offer a range of services including support for substance use, mental health, family re-unification and they also provide volunteer opportunities for social connection within their Home and Community Care Program to connect with those who are social isolated in the community. They also have a Support for Carers Program.

Uniting Care have provided gift bags containing information on their programs along with a list of all other supports that families can access. I will endeavour to send these home with families next week along with some of the information for the Sattelite Foundation and Mental Health & Wellbeing Connect.

Until then, if you have any feedback about how you perceive our mental health and wellbeing program or have any ideas you would like to share, I would love to connect with you. Please feel free to contact me at the school if you’d like to arrange a meeting, or email kwoods@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au.

I am really looking forward to expanding and developing our program more over the coming year, and would love to have your input as well.

Message from Mrs. Dalgleish

Library Days for 2025  

Juniors - Wednesday 10.00 - 10.30am

Seniors- Wednesday10.30 - 11.00am


All students are encouraged to borrow every week and to use library time for leisurely reading.

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:

March 2025

• Tuesday 4th March - Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday)
• Tuesday 4th March  - Swimming 10 - 11am
• Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Mass 9.30am
• Wednesday 5th March - 'Wimmera Field Days' Excursion - 11.00am - 2.00pm
• Monday 10th - Labour Day Public Holiday
• Tuesday 11th March - Swimming 10 - 11am
• Wednesday 19th - Face-to-face Auslan with Jane Hage

April 2025

• Friday 4th - DSSA Athletics at Minyip
• Friday 4th  - Last Day of Term 1
• Thursday 17th- Holy Thursday (See parish bulletin for service dates)
• Friday 18th - Good Friday (See parish bulletin for service dates)
• Saturday 19th - Easter Vigil (See parish bulletin for service dates)
• Sunday 20th - Easter Sunday (See parish bulletin for service dates)
• Monday 21st - Easter Monday Public Holiday
• Tuesday 22nd, Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th - Student Free Days  
  
• Friday 25th - ANZAC Day
• Monday 28th - First Day Term 2

May 2025

• Wednesday 14th  - Student Free Day (School closed- all staff PD in Horsham)
• Monday 26th - Student Free Day (Staff PD in Nhill)

Mass Times & Parish Information

Sunday 2nd March 2025, Mass at 8.30am at St. Mary's Catholic Church. 

2025 Sacramental Program 
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.

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.