Week 8

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, known for his courage, faith, and dedication to spreading the Gospel. It’s a day to reflect on the values of perseverance, hope, and community that St. Patrick exemplified. May this special day inspire us all to embrace kindness, unity, and the strength that comes from faith. Enjoy the festivities and blessings of St. Patrick’s Day!

We invite our school community to keep our Year 6 students in your thoughts and prayers as they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this coming Friday. We extend our gratitude to their teachers for their dedication in preparing the students and to our Education in Faith Leader, Gabby Lo Castro, for her guidance and support of our families, as well as her thoughtful planning and preparation. We also look forward to warmly welcoming our new regional bishop Rene Ramirez, as he joins us for this celebration.

A reminder to families and community members attending this special Mass that it is a sacred and reverent occasion.

Life Long Benefits of Catholic Education- Celebrating Catholic Education Week.

As we celebrate Catholic Education Week this week, we reflect on the lifelong benefits of sending your child to a Catholic School. The HILDA survey highlights that Catholic school graduates are more likely to complete higher education, enjoy greater life satisfaction, and actively contribute to their communities. With a strong focus on academic excellence, values-based learning, and a supportive community, Catholic schools nurture the whole child—academically, socially, and spiritually. This holistic approach helps students develop resilience, confidence, and a deep commitment to making a positive impact in the world. Choosing a Catholic education is an investment in your child’s future, shaping them into compassionate, well-rounded individuals.

So what did the results say? People who attended Catholic schools are on average more likely to be employed, and to earn higher wages, than government school attendees. The average wage difference ranges between four per cent to 11 per cent. In addition, Catholic school attendees are more likely to work in an industry or sector that directly benefits the public and were more likely to donate to charity. The report also found that Catholic school attendance had a positive average impact on personal health and life satisfaction scores.

As a principal, I often say to staff that we nurture the seedlings so they may grow, even if we don’t always witness the fruits of our labour. This insightful analysis brings the unseen to light, providing data that affirms the positive impact of our teaching. As a parent who chose Catholic education for my children, I couldn’t be prouder to see this impact shine in data.

NAPLAN

As NAPLAN continues this week, we keep our Year 3 and Year 5 students in our thoughts. This is an important time for them, as they engage in assessments that help to gauge their literacy and numeracy progress. While the results provide valuable insights into their learning journey, we want to remind all students that these assessments are just one part of their growth as learners. We are incredibly proud of the effort and focus our students have demonstrated, and we encourage them to approach the remaining tests with confidence. Remember, NAPLAN is an opportunity to show what they know, but it’s not the only measure of success. Let’s continue to support and encourage our students during this time, ensuring they feel calm, confident, and proud of their achievements.

Uniform

It has been wonderful to see children wearing their school uniform with pride and I am grateful to the teachers with following up with students regarding the expectations of our uniform. We have had queries regarding socks. Please note:

if your child is wearing the navy shorts and green polo as their academic uniform the colour of the socks is navy blue.

if your child is wearing the school dress as their academic uniform the colour of the socks is white.

if your child is wearing their sports uniform the colour of the socks is always white.

Thank you for your cooperation with this.

Have a great week.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

This coming, Thursday 20 March is our St Oliver School Photo Day.

All photo bookings are available online.

To place your school photo order please follow the the following steps, using the access key provided on the flyer.

Go to www.leadingimage.com.au
Click on Order Your School Photos
Enter your Access Key

All orders must be placed before 4:30pm the night before photo day, Wednesday 19 March.

Individual and family photos can be ordered with the same access key.

Children will wear full summer uniforms on Photo Day. If your child has a PE lesson on this day, they can bring their runners in their bag.

A reminder that children do not wear their sports uniform for school photo day.

What's on in the next fortnight

Mon 17 Mar: Catholic Education Week

Mon 17 Mar: NAPLAN - Year 3 & Year 5

Mon 17 Mar: Dental Van visit

Tue 18 Mar: Dental Van visit

Tue 18 Mar: NAPLAN - Year 3 & Year 5 (Catch up)

Wed 19 Mar: SAC Meeting 7pm - members only

Wed 19 Mar: NAPLAN - Year 3 & Year 5 (Catch up)

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

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)

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

Monday 26 May Thursday 19 June: Professional Learning Day- No school for students

Monday 18 August Monday 11 August : Professional Learning Day- No school for students

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

Public Holidays

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 10

Mon 31 Mar: Sports Day - whole school

Fri 4 Apr: Easter Paraliturgy/Raffle

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

Fri 4 Apr: END OF TERM - 1pm finish

Term Two

Week 1

Tue 22 Apr: Term 2 begins

Tue 22 Apr: Easter Paraliturgy - whole school in the Hall- 9am (parents welcome)

Wed 23 Apr: Yr 4 Eucharist Family Night - 6:30pm - church

Fri 25 Apr: ANZAC Day - No school

Week 2

Fri 2 May: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Coburg North (Away)

Fri 2 May: Assembly - 2:50pm - parents welcome

Week 3

Mon 5 May: 2026 Prep Interviews begin

Tue 6 May: 2026 Prep Interviews begin

Tue 6 May: Parent Teacher Progress Meetings- Students finish 1pm

Thur 8 May: Mother's Day Gathering (classroom) & Morning Tea (hall) 8:35am-10am

Fri 9 May: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Pascoe Vale (Home)

Fri 9 May: Mother's Day Stall - 9am-11am

Week 4

Mon 12 May: Year 5/6 Camp

Tue 13 May: Year 5/6 Camp

Wed 14 May: Year 5/6 Camp

Fri 16 May: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs St Pauls (Home)

Fri 16 May: National Walk to School Safely Day

Fri 16 May: Assembly - 2:50pm - parents welcome

Week 5

Mon 19 May: SSV District Cross Country

Mon 19 May: 2026 Prep Interviews

Tue 20 May: 2026 Prep Interviews

Wed 21 May: 2026 Prep Interviews

Fri 16 May: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Coburg West (Away)

Week 6

Sun 25 May: Year 4 First Eucharist

Tue 27 May: 2026 Prep Interviews

Fri 16 May: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Coburg North (Away)

Fri 16 May: Assembly - 2:50pm - parents welcome

Week 7

Tue 3 Jun: Year 4 Eucharist Lunch

Wed 4 Jun: Division Cross Country

Fri 6 Jun: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Antonine (Away)

Week 8

Mon 9 Jun: King's Birthday Public Holiday - No school

Fri 13 Jun: Interschool Sports - St Olivers vs Pascoe Vale North (Home)

Fri 13 Jun: Assembly - 2:50pm - parents welcome

Week 9

Thurs 19 June: Staff Professional Learning - No school for students

Fri 20 Jun: Interschool Sports - BYE

Fri 20 Jun: P&F Winter Warmer - Cheer Toastie/PJ Day

Week 10

Wed 25 Jun: P&F Fundraiser Tony's Pies - orders open

Fri 27 Jun: Assembly - 2:50pm - parents welcome

Week 11

Thu 3 Jul: St Oliver Feast Day Mass - Whole School Mass 12pm - parents welcome

Fri 4 Jul: 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.

Sun Smart - School Hat Required

All students require a school hat for outdoor activities. This includes lunch breaks, sports lessons and any activity outside the classroom. If your child doesn't have a school hat, please send another sun smart option until a school hat can be arranged.

Please make your child's hat is clearly labelled with their name.

Thank you for your help.

Second Hand Uniform Store Will Open This Week!

Our Second Hand Uniform store will open this week (19 & 20 March) and run every fortnight (on even weeks - 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) at the following times:

Wednesday morning: 8.35am – 9.00am
Thursday afternoon: 3:20pm – 3.45pm

All items cost $10 each. Cash payments only at this stage.

DONATIONS:

If you have any good quality school uniform items that your child/children have outgrown and you would like to donate to our Second Hand Uniform Store, please drop them off at our school office.

Carol Leone/Katherine Darmanin

Office Administration

Parents & Friends News

A huge thank you to our incredible volunteers for making Pancake Day a resounding success!

The delicious pancakes were a hit, and the entire event was brilliantly coordinated by Carla Bottari. Special recognition to Angela Tzaferis, Jessica Wotherspoon, Jessica Brugaletta, and Melissa Monte for their fantastic work in preparing and serving all the kids.

Love wrapping presents? Then we need you!

We’re looking for volunteers to help wrap the Easter Raffle prizes and make them look egg-stra special!

When: Monday 24 March

Time: 9:00am – 10:45am

Where: School hall

Bonus: Sweet treats provided to keep your energy up!

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.

Multicultural Day - Thur 27 March (to be served in 2nd break) - FULL
Hot Cross Bun Drive - to be distributed on 3 April - FULL
Easter Raffle - drawn 4 April - more volunteers needed for wrapping

Volunteer here - volunteersignup.org/CE9T7

Canteen News

Term 2 Canteen Volunteer Roster Now Open!

Volunteer opportunities for "Term 2 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/BAW78

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, 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

Aria S for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by her ability to consistently work well in independent tasks whilst always trying her best.

Michael T for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his eagerness to practice and improve his number formations.

YEAR PV

Thomas B for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way he supports his peers during learning, showing kindness and teamwork in the classroom.

Lucille F for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the effort and dedication she puts into her learning across all areas of the curriculum.

YEAR PW

Leo M for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by the way he loves to be challenged during Mathematic lessons.

Jamiel M for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by the way he takes turns to speak during small group discussions.

Year One

YEAR 1B

Thomas M for being a reflective learner as demonstrated by his willingness to accept feedback to improve his reading fluency.

Leonardo A for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his eagerness to participate in all learning tasks.

YEAR 1H

Isabelle N for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by showing outstanding effort and staying motivated when completing her work.

Adam B for being a curious learner as demonstrated by being attentive during class discussions and asking relevant questions to deepen his understanding.

Year Two

YEAR 2A

Mila F for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by her high concentration levels when completing tasks.

Dion H for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by the way he consistently contributes to class discussions.

YEAR 2G

Ava A for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by her ability to keep practising her pencil grip even though it is hard sometimes.

Jaxon A for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his ability to problem solve during his learning tasks, especially when designing a town in inquiry.

YEAR 2R

Tom M for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by his ability to complete tasks to the best of his ability even when faced with challenges.

Kyahna M for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by her ability to be present in the moment, approach challenges with a positive attitude, and always face them with a smile.

Year Three

YEAR 3L

Max H for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by his ability to be ready for learning and approach challenging tasks with positivity.

Millie N for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by the way she tackles challenging tasks with positivity and optimism.

YEAR 3P

Naomi C for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her ability to focus and extend herself in her learning tasks.

Mila A for being a collaborative learner as demonstrated by her ability to listen to and communicate with her peers with respect and kindness.

Year Four

YEAR 4D

Raffi C for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her ability to create complex and interesting sentences in her persuasive writing.

Leora H for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by her ability to select exciting vocabulary and persuasive language to enhance her persuasive writing.

YEAR 4G

Christian B for being a persistent learner as demonstrated by his efforts to focus and independently tackle tasks in class.

Lucas P for being a curious learner as demonstrated by his ability to ask thought provoking questions during reading and writing.

Year Five

YEAR 5JL

Aydin P for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated in Mathematics. You shared your thinking with the class and made attempts at challenging questions. Congratulations!

Eva B for being a curious learner as demonstrated in Inquiry. You asked some thought provoking questions to deepen your learning to understand Migration to Australia. Congratulations!

YEAR 5M

Ariana P for being a resilient learner as demonstrated by persevering through challenges and maintaining a positive attitude.

Loretta S for being a self motivated learner as demonstrated by independently organising herself and approaching each learning task with focus and determination.

Year Six

YEAR 6F

Matthew F for being a reflective learner as demonstrated by his openness to try new tools to support his learning.

Ada V for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by her engagement in all areas of learning.

YEAR 6N

Leo W for being a risk taking learner as demonstrated by his engagement in class discussion and justifying his understanding.

Dalia M for being a curious learner as demonstrated by her ability to apply her understanding of the order of operations to solve increasingly challenging expressions.

Extend News- Before and After School Care

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

Community News and Events

Hi everyone,

I'm joining Melanoma March this year to raise funds for Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), an organisation that's very close to my heart. At the end of 2023, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma in my lungs. It was a devastating diagnosis, but thanks to the groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment developed by the MIA, I'm now cancer-free.

Your support can help the MIA continue their vital work and give others the same chance I had. Please consider making an online donation or join my team and march on the day by clicking here. Every contribution makes a difference. Thank you so much for your generosity!

Steph Randles (Mum of Callan Beaty 1B)