OLHC News Issue 18 Term 2 Week 10 - 27th June 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,
We have one week left for Term 2, before our students, teachers, and families, enjoy a well-earned break. Teaching and learning continues right until the very end, and I draw your attention to the article about structured literacy below. Our work in English lessons is not dry and boring, but life giving and fun. We sing songs, chant grammar, create and analyse sentences that make us laugh, and both classes are reading excellent novels (Stuart Little in the Junior Room, and The Hobbit in the Senior Room.) In next week's bulletin, I will ask students to give reviews of these wonderful books, sharing their learning, and reflecting on the lessons they can take away from great literature.
It is the time of year when families are thinking about where to enroll their children in 2026, and I welcome inquiries from prospective parents. We are always available to give school tours, to sit with families and share the work we do, and to answer any questions. For families that may live in Horsham, we offer our free school bus and can discuss pick up and drop off points that suit. All families in our region who desire a Catholic education for their children, or who are attracted to our small country setting, deserve the opportunity to attend our school. Because we believe in our work, we want to make sure that we do everything we can to make it possible for families to come here. In 2026, we are waiving school fees for new families, removing another potential obstacle, and alleviating some cost of living pressures. Our school is committed to remaining a low-fee option for families as part of an affordable, contemporary system of schools with DOBCEL.
Please share our school video with anyone you know who might consider our school. We are happy to meet with families, to navigate practical obstacles that may exist, and to do everything within our means to make Catholic education in our beautiful school a reality in the lives of those who desire it.
As always, please come and see me if you would like a tour of our new building or a conversation about Our Lady's.
All the very best,
Chris McCumstie
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
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.
Parent Support Initiative: School TV
The SchoolTV initiative at Our Lady Help of Christians School aims to help parents 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.
Aurora Structured Literacy Project
Our Lady’s School is taking part in a research project called the Aurora Structured Literacy Project. This research project includes ten small and geographically isolated schools across the Diocese of Ballarat. It is a collaboration between researchers at the Diocese of Ballarat and La Trobe University to improve literacy knowledge and outcomes for our students.
We are fortunate to have Mel Fox working with us this year as a Literacy Coach. Mel is working with our leaders and teachers to improve literacy knowledge and teaching for our students. Our staff have also undertaken a range of professional development focusing on literacy teaching as part of the project.
The project will be analysing our students’ reading and will include the reflections of our leaders and teachers about the supported introduction of structured literacy in our school. The project would also like to hear from parents/guardians about their child’s learning of reading and writing.
Earlier in the year, families received some information about this project. In the coming months, you will be invited to consider providing your consent for two specific aspects of the project. Firstly, the researchers will invite you to participate in an interview to hear about your views of your child’s literacy learning. Secondly, the researchers will ask you to consent for your child to be involved in a case study to look more closely at their learning.
All information will be securely stored and personal details (such as our school's and your child’s details etc.) will never be shared.
You will receive more detailed information about these opportunities to be involved in the project in the coming months.
Literacy
Our Foundation and Year One students have been working extremely hard during our InitiaLit lessons.
In Foundation, students have been learning about the beginning sound /t/. To help them remember this sound, we've introduced a fun physical prompt: Tommy Tiger taps his friends on the nose – /t/! This engaging strategy reinforces the /t/ sound in a playful and memorable way.
In Year One, students have been focusing on the vowel digraph ‘ue’, as in glue. They’ve learned that the letters ‘u’ and ‘e’ together make the long /oo/ sound, and have been practising reading and writing words that include this sound.
Tours of New Building
We warmly invite families, prospective families, parishioners, and friends of Our Lady's to come for a personalised tour of our new facilities. Come and see what we offer at our school, and hear about the excellent teaching and learning that happens daily in our classrooms.
Science Bird Feeders
Laudato Si is the encyclical that Pope Francis wrote on the care for our common home. He touches on environmental matters and encourages Christians to respond to the cry of the world and take action to preserve creation for future generations.
We had a week of Laudato Si moments, with staff undertaking some professional development with Catholic Education Ballarat staff, and with students making and placing in the yard some bird feeders. It is always lovely when our development as a school is matched by concrete action. The children enjoyed the experience of creating and then sharing the birdfeeders.
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
Important Upcoming Dates:
July 2025
- Friday 4th July - Last Day of Term 2 Finish at 2.15pm
- Monday 21st July - First Day of Term 3
- Wednesday 30th July - Book Fair begins
August 2025
- Wednesday 6th August - Wicker Garden Glenorchy Excursion
- Friday 8th August - St. Mary of the Cross - Mary MacKillop Feast Day
- Monday 11th to Friday 15th August - National Science Week
- Monday 18th to Friday 22nd August - Book Week
- Tuesday 19th August - Mary MacKillop Centre Penola Excursion (To be confirmed)
- Wednesday 20th August - Book Week Dress Up Day (To be confirmed)
September 2025
- Thursday 18th September - Last Day of Term 3
- Friday 19th September - Pupil Free Day - Staff PD
October 2025
- Monday 6th October - First Day of Term 4
November 2025
- Tuesday 12th November- Pupil Free Day - Staff PD
December 2025
- Thursday 18th December - Last Day of Term 4
Mass Times & Parish Information
Saturday 28th June 2025, Vigil Mass at 6.30pm at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Sunday 6th July 2025, Mass at 8.30am at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Parish Bulletin
Community News
See the attached flyers for initiatives that may interest from groups in and around Murtoa.