OLHC News Issue 1 Term 1 Week 1 - 31st January 2025
-
Principal Report
-
Welcome Miss Kirby! Mrs Woods to come...
-
New Build Update and Photos
-
Students Return, Uniform, & Timetable
-
Lunch Heat Ups and Lunch Orders
-
Message from Mrs. Dalgleish
-
Child Safety
-
School TV
-
Important Upcoming Dates:
-
Mass Times & Parish Information
-
Parish Bulletin
-
Community News
-
Calendar Dates

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,
Welcome back for the 2025 school year! It is always such an exciting time to welcome back students and families at the beginning of Term 1. Our own students here at Our Lady's had the extra excitement of seeing worksite humming with activity. When they arrived on Thursday, the original school building was gone, having been demolished during the Christmas holidays. By the time the students left on Friday, the new modules had all arrived and been craned into place. It doesn't take long, apparently, to go from nothing to something! Enjoy the photos below, and stay tuned for updates about when we will be able to make the move into our new school later this year.
One item I'd like to draw your attention to in the newsletter is a new key date - Thursday 13th February - which is a student free day. Staff will be attending a day of professional development in Horsham.
A very warm welcome to our two new teachers, Mrs. Kelly Woods and Miss Georgia Kirby. Both teachers have leadership positions on top of their classroom roles, and we are all looking forward to meeting them, getting to know them, and seeing the great work they do with the students.
Staff for 2025
Junior Room - Georgia Kirby
Senior Room - Chris McCumstie (Monday, Thursday); Kelly Woods (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
Learning Support- Mary Dalgleish; Catherine McCumstie; Sarah Maher
Library- Mary Dalgleish
Religious Education Leader- Georgia Kirby
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader- Kelly Woods
Business Manager and Administration- Joan Lane-Storey
Grounds and Maintenence- Glen Critchley
As always, we entrust our work to God for 2025. Catholic Education is a partnership between the home, the school, and the Church, and as such I warmly invite you to contact me or come in for a meeting about your children at any time. The better we cooperate in this partnership, the better the outcomes for our children.
May God bless our students, staff, families, friends, and school in 2025, and may Mary Help of Christians intercede for us always!
All the very best,
Chris McCumstie
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
Welcome Miss Kirby! Mrs Woods to come...
Miss Kirby started her role as the Religious Education Leader and Junior Room teacher this week. Students already love having Miss Kirby lead them in their learning, and it is a joy to have Georgia on staff. Georgia can be reached via the General Office, or at gkirby@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
Next week on Tuesday, Mrs. Woods will have her first day teaching in the Senior Room. Students are looking forward to meeting their teacher next week, and parents can contact Kelly via the General Office or at kwoods@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!






Students Return, Uniform, & Timetable
Our core business at OLHC is teaching and learning. All the administration, paper work, planning and meetings are necessary, but can be tedious. The return of students, looking smart in their school uniforms, having grown over the summer, and ready and raring to learn and develop in their schooling, was such a joy! Well done students on your behaviour, work ethic, and play in the first week back!
A reminder that school uniform should be worn faithfully, and that any questions or queries for new or second hand uniforms can be directed to the General Office.
STUDENT TIMETABLE
Monday- Morning Assembly 9am (parents welcome)
Tuesday- Normal Day
Wednesday- Library; PE; Auslan
Thursday- Normal Day
Friday- Liturgy Assembly 9am (parents welcome); Lunch orders

Lunch Heat Ups and Lunch Orders

Lunch Heat ups are available everyday.
Lunch Orders are available on Fridays from Murtoa College Canteen, commencing next Friday, 7th February.
To order your child's lunch on Fridays, send their order, written out on an envelope/bag with correct money enclosed. The order needs to be placed in the lunch order basket as soon as students arrive at school.
2025 Canteen Menu was sent home with students today.
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:
January 2025
- Sunday 26th - Australia Day
- Monday 27th - Australia Day Public Holiday
- Tuesday 28th - Staff Day
- Wednesday 29th - Staff Day
- Thursday 30th - First Day Term 1
February 2025
- Wednesday 12th February - Opening School Mass 11.30am (parents invited)
- Thursday 13th February - Student Free Day (Staff Professional Development)
March 2025
- Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Mass 11.30am
April 2025
- Friday 4th - Last Day of Term 1
Mass Times & Parish Information

Sunday 2nd February 2025, Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 8.30am.
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.
Calendar Dates
Please click on the link below to take you directly to our School Calendar.