Week 4

Last week, we hosted our Meet and Greet Parent and Teacher Interviews. The prayer reminds us of respectful and compassionate relationships working together to achieve a common goal.

School - Home partnerships can make a big difference and parents can support the school by:

holding high expectations for their children;
showing interest in the things their children are interested in;
valuing learning and modeling the behaviours of successful learners;
giving specific, rather than general, praise; and
establish routines that promote health, well being and regular study.

Welcome Back Welcome To St Oliver's Evening

A big thank you to our incredible Parents & Friends and all the wonderful volunteers who made our Welcome to/Welcome Back to St Oliver’s such a special evening. Your generosity, time, and effort created a warm and inviting atmosphere where families could connect, share stories, and truly feel part of our school community. We were not only well-fed but also entertained, enjoying a beautiful evening filled with music, laughter, and great company. Moments like these remind us of the strong sense of belonging that makes St Oliver’s so special. Below are some highlights from the night—thank you again for being part of it!

Mobile Phones and Devices

In line with new Government regulations and guidelines implemented in 2020, all mobile devices need to be handed into the office at the beginning of the school day. All devices will be kept in a lockable drawer and returned to students at the end of the day. This includes any wearable devices where notifications are switched on and messages can be received or sent.

It would be very difficult for teachers to use valuable teaching and learning time to check that these features are switched off. Therefore, teachers will use their discretion and if these wearable devices are proving to be a distraction for the students, the teacher will provide children with time to hand in their devices at the office.

If a parent needs to pass on a message to a child this can be done through the school office. I also ask parents to keep in mind that these devices are extremely expensive and we do ask that valuable items are not brought to school.

SRC Commissioning Ceremony.

Purpose of SRC:

The SRC is a forum that allows students to have a voice and make a positive impact on our school community.

Roles and Responsibilities

● Bring any ideas from the class to the SRC meetings and report back to the class at the end of the meetings. These meetings are held once a term.

● Members of the SRC are chosen to represent the school at the ANZAC day ceremony and Remembrance Day ceremony.

● The students are at the forefront of improving student voice and agency.

● Represent St Oliver's when required.

Congratulations to our 2025 Student Representative Council. We look forward to commissioning our SRC this Friday at our assembly at 2:50pm.

Prep M: Skyler S

Prep V: Leonardo D

Prep W: Chiara M

1B: Noah M

1H: Lexi B

2A: Lucas D

2G: Jordan D

2R: Rocco G

3L: Sebastian C

3P: Iris F

4D: Leora H

4G: Marcus S

5JL: Victoria D

5M: Billie T

What's on in the next fortnight

Tue 18 Feb: SSV District Swimming Trials

Wed 19 Feb: Preps scheduled rest day

Wed 19 Feb: Year 4-6 Incursion - Essendon Player Q & A - 2:30pm

Thur 20 Feb: Yr 6 Confirmation Retreat - Mary Glowrey & St Patricks Mass

Thur 20 Feb: Class Mass - 5M - 10am - parents welcome

Fri 21 Feb: Yr 6 Interschool sports - St Oliver's vs St Paul's (home)

Fri 21 Feb: School Assembly 2:50pm - parent welcome

Wed 26 Feb: Preps scheduled rest day

Thur 27 Feb: Prep 2026 Twilight Information Evening and School Tour- 6:30pm

Fri 28 Feb: Yr 6 Interschool sports - St Oliver's vs Coburg West (home)

2026 Enrolments and Open Days

Existing families who have a prep child starting school next year are encouraged to head online to begin to complete their online enrolment form. While you are in our online enrolment portal, you are also welcome to register for a tour on one of our open days.

Complete an Enrolment Form for Prep 2026- HERE

Have a great week.

Delfina Pieri

Principal

principal@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au

Important Dates and Events

Term 1

Yr 1-6 Friday 31 January - Friday 4 April- 1pm dismissal for students

Term 2

Tuesday 22 April- Friday 4 July- 1pm dismissal for students

Term 3

Monday 21 July- Friday 19 September- 1pm dismissal for students

Term 4

Monday 6 October- Tuesday 16 December- 1pm dismissal for students

2025 Sacraments

Confirmation (Year 6)- Friday 21 March @ 5:30pm (Church)

First Eucharist (Year 4)- Sunday 25 May @ 3:30pm (Church)

Reconciliation (Year 3)- Wednesday 12 November @ 6:30pm (Church)

2025 School Closures

Friday 7 March: Professional Learning Day- No school for students

Monday 26 May: Professional Learning Day- No school for students

Monday 18 August: Professional Learning Day- No school for students

Friday 28 November: Professional Learning Day- No school for students

Public Holidays

Monday 10 March: Labour Day

Monday 21 April: Easter Monday

Friday 25 April: ANZAC Day

Monday 9 June: King's Birthday

Tuesday 4 November: Melbourne Cup

Time In Lieu Days

Monday 3 November: School Closure for staff and students

2025 Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday 6 May: Yr Prep- Six Parent/Teacher Progress Meeting - 1pm finish for students

Thursday 23 October: Parent/Teacher Progress Meeting- 1pm finish for students

2025 Celebrations of Learning

Term 1: Monday 31 March: Athletics Carnival

Term 2: Wednesday 18 June- 9-11am: Literacy Focus

Term 3: Wednesday 17 & 18 September: School Production

Term 4: Thursday 20 November- 9-11am- Mathematics Focus

2025 Year 5-6 Camp

Monday 12 May - Wednesday 14 May

Week 6

Mon 3 Mar: Preps fulltime

Mon 3 Mar: Australian Dental Health Visit

Tue 4 Mar: Shrove Tuesday - P&F Pancake Day

Wed 5 Mar: Ash Wednesday - Whole school mass 12pm- parents welcome

Thur 6 Mar: School Assembly 2:50pm - parent welcome

Fri 7 Mar: School Closure: Professional Learning - No school for students

Week 7

Mon 10 Mar: School Closure: Labour Day - No school for students

Tue 11 Mar: Prep 2026 Open Day - 9:15am

Tue 11 Mar: Yr 4 Excursion - Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre & Shrine of Remembrance

Tue 11 Mar: Class Mass - 6F & 6N - 10am - parents welcome

Wed 12 Mar: NAPLAN Testing Window Opens for Year 3 & 5 students (schedule TBA)

Wed 12 Mar: Bishop Visit - Yr 6 cohort

Thur 13 Mar: Division Swimming Carnival

Week 8

Mon 17 Mar: Catholic Education Week

Tue 18 Mar: Yr 6 Excursion - Parliament of Victoria

Wed 19 Mar: SAC Meeting 7pm - members only

Thur 20 Mar: School Photos

Thur 20 Mar: Class Mass - 3L - 10am - parents welcome

Fri 21 Mar: National Ride 2 School Day

Fri 21 Mar: Year 4 Chess Program - School Hall

Fri 21 Mar: Yr 6 Interschool sports - St Oliver's vs Pascoe Vale North (away)

Fri 21 Mar: School Assembly 2:50pm - parent welcome

Fri 21 Mar: Year 6 Confirmation - 5:30pm- Church

Week 9

Mon 24 Mar: Yr 1 Incursion - Mrs Sargood

Tue 25 Mar: Class Mass - 4G - 10am - parents welcome

Thur 27 Mar: Multicultural Day - dress up in cultural dress

Thur 27 Mar: Class Mass Year 6 cohort - 10am - parents welcome

Thur 27 Mar: Year 2 Camp

Fri 28 Mar: Yr 6 Interschool sports - St Oliver's vs Pascoe Vale (home)

Week 10

Mon 31 Mar: Sports Day - whole school

Fri 4 Apr: Easter Paraliturgy/Raffle

Fri 4 Apr: School Assembly 9:10am - parent welcome

Fri 4 Apr: END OF TERM - 1pm finish

Student Administration News

Lunch Boxes & Water Bottles

A gentle reminder to all parents regarding lunch boxes and water bottles, please make sure all items are clearly labelled with your child's name.

Please make sure no glass containers are used at school for food or drink.

Thank you for your assistance.

Carol Leone/Katherine Darmanin

Office Administration

Parent & Friends News

A Huge Thank You for Making Our Welcome BBQ a Sizzling Success!

What a fantastic night we had at the 2025 Welcome BBQ! The music was top-notch, the sausages were perfectly grilled, and the gelato hit the spot.

A massive shout-out to all the incredible volunteers who made the evening so special! From grilling up a storm to serving smiles in the canteen, your dedication and hard work made all the difference.

We want to give a special thanks to:

BBQ Heroes: Kere, Nicholas, John, Mitch, Chris, Josh, Jesse, Remo & Remy
Canteen Champions: Andrew, Simone, Harriet, Felicia, Jessica B, Jessica W, and Jessica K
Setup Squad: All the amazing teachers who helped with setup
Superstars: Clare & Gizelle for going above and beyond!

Thank you all again for making our Welcome BBQ a night to remember!

Calling all local businesses!

Want to be a part of our Mother's Day Stall this year?

We're looking for amazing local businesses with gifts perfect for the St Opp's community. If you think your products would be a great fit for our stall, we'd love to hear from you!

We'll be in touch soon to discuss how we can partner together for a successful Mother's Day Stall.

We have some wonderful events coming up this Term. If you are interested in helping out, please click on the link below.

Pancake Day - Tuesday 4th March
Hot Cross Bun drive
Multicultural Day - Thursday 27th March
Easter Raffle

Volunteer here - volunteersignup.org/CE9T7

Canteen News

Hello everyone,

Volunteer opportunities for "Term 1 2025 Canteen Volunteer Roster" are now open.

Please click on the following web link (or copy it into your web browser if clicking doesn't work) to go to the signup sheet:

volunteersignup.org/89P7A

To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page. It only takes a few seconds to do.

Thank you for volunteering!

Student Awards

Awards will be printed in Monday's newsletter. Please be on the look out for your child's name.

Two children from each class will receive awards for displaying the below dispositions in their learning. They will receive their certificates at our fortnightly assembly on Fridays that take place on even weeks Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 2:50pm and in Week 10 at 9:10am

Parents are welcome to attend our fortnightly assemblies.

Risk Taking Russ Resilient Ruth Self Motivated Sally Reflective Rita Persistent Pete Curious Carter Collaborative Cody

Year Prep

YEAR PM

Joshua B for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by his ability to keep going even when he finds the task challenging.

Skyler S for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his ability to remain organised in his learning and when cleaning up.

YEAR PV

Leni I for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way she helped her peer write the number 5.

Leonardo F for being a curious learner as demonstrated by his eagerness to explore the classroom and ask great questions about school.

YEAR PW

Neve N for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by the way she enters the classroom with a smile on her face each morning.

Marcus S for being a curious learner as demonstrated by his ability to see things that we are learning about in new and creative ways.

Year One

YEAR 1B

Callan B for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by his willingness to help his peers understand their learning.

Eliana S for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by her willingness to share ideas during discussions.

YEAR 1H

Ryker D for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his strong willingness to complete all tasks and actively participates in class discussions.

Quinn M for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by showing bravery and a positive attitude while starting a new school and demonstrating openness to new experiences.

Year Two

YEAR 2A

Memphis H for being a resilient learner by the way he demonstrated positivity when faced with a challenging learning situation.

Saxon M for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by the way he is able to stay on task and always is ready for learning.

YEAR 2G

Matteo B for being a persistent learner as demonstrated through his ability to always listen to the teacher's instruction and display with his whole body listening that he is ready to learn.

Poppy C for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated through her choosing to finish her sun smart work during our 5 minute brain break after play.

YEAR 2R

Noah P for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by his ability to include, communicate and support his peers when completing a group activity

Jayden N for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by his ability to approach all learning opportunities with a positive attitude and a willingness to give everything a go.

Year Three

YEAR 3L

Petra M for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her ability to have all belongings ready for learning and approach challenging tasks with positivity.

Ben T for being a curious learner as demonstrated by his eagerness to ask questions and his confidence to clarify information when he is unsure.

YEAR 3P

Henry F for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his ability to give his best effort in his learning tasks and stay focused during explicit instruction.

Siena D for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by her ability to use kindness to support her peers when they need it.

Year Four

YEAR 4D

Jemma G for being a curious learner as demonstrated by her ability to improve her knowledge and understanding by asking clarifying questions when unsure.

Harlan D for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by his willingness to openly share his opinions and ideas in class discussions, even when unsure of the answer.

YEAR 4G

Amelia B for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by the way she senses other people’s emotions and willingly uses kindness to support her peers.

Luana C for being collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way she actively listens to others, articulates their thoughts and ideas clearly and contributes to discussions in a meaningful way.

Year Five

YEAR 5JL

Adrian P for being a persistent learner during Mathematics. Even though you doubted yourself at the beginning of the lesson, your determination allowed you to be successful. Congratulations!

Allegra M for being a collaborative learner during WOW Week. You shone with confidence as you led and delegated tasks to your group to complete tasks with deep reflection. Congratulations!

YEAR 5M

Ari K for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by his ability to step out of his comfort zone in a new school community. Welcome to St Oliver’s Ari!

Mia D for being a curious learner as demonstrated by the way she sought clarification about the sounds in a word during a spelling lesson.

Year Six

YEAR 6F

Alex W for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by his connection with his prep buddy even spending time with him during breaks.

Katia V for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by her confidence in asking for assistance when she is unsure during learning.

YEAR 6N

Adriana F being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by her confidence in responding on the spot in Daily Reviews and class discussions.

Luca T for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his ability to be organised and setting himself high expectations.

Extend News- Before and After School Care

Always Learning and Always Evolving

Extend's valuable and informative monthly publication, 'The Link - Community Hub', has just released its latest edition. It provides interesting articles, reviews and ideas for our community to read and share!

Please click below to download the latest edition

The Link - Community Hub February 2025

We sincerely hope you find this resource useful and insightful.

Wishing you well,

The Extend Team

School Noticeboard- Special Acknowledgements

Our School Community Notice Board acknowledges special Staff or School Family News. It allows us to be connected through prayer while we are apart and it is something I would really like to continue when we are back together again. If you have a particular event happening in your life e.g. birth or death and would like us to acknowledge this event please email me. We as a school community would love to offer prayers and thoughts to you during times of great joy or sadness.

principal@sopascoevale.catholic.edu.au