Newsletter May 1, 2025

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of the Our Lady of the Way Community,

Welcome back to term 2. I hope that over the recent Easter Holidays you had the opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends. It was wonderful to see the children arrive back and quickly return to the structures and routines of good learning practices. We look forward to a wonderful term of learning and teaching and positive social interactions.

As you are aware Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday. I feel that the timing of his passing highlights his true ‘Servant Leadership’. Recently he had been very ill but recovered enough to lead the Church though the Holy Week celebrations and once his final task was complete, he went to God. Pope Francis will be remembered as the People’s Pope. Pope Francis often said he preferred a Church that goes out into the world even if “bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets.”  He was an advocate for the poor in society, he went to the peripheries and served the marginalised as a witness of joy and hope. All of this done through the lens of simplicity. Our relationship with God should not be complicated but rather simple; love for God, others and ourselves. Pope Francis has continually invited us, always through hope, to renew our relationship daily with Christ through our respectful interactions with others. He said that words such as May I, thank you and I’m sorry are the key to maintaining respectful, peaceful relationships with others.

Eternal rest grant unto Francis, O Lord.
And let the perpetual light shine upon him.

And may his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen

Best wishes,
Terry Cooney

Principal

SUPERVISION TIMES
A reminder to all parents and carers that supervision of children by Our Lady of the Way staff begins from 8:30 each morning. If you need to drop your child off before this time you will need to use the services offered by the OSHC. This also applies for after school supervision which concludes at 3:30pm.

2026 ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS

Enrolments for Foundation in 2026 will be closing mid-May. We now have more applications than places available. If you have a child ready for Foundation in 2026 and you already have a child at Our Lady of the Way, a place will be made available for you. However, if an application is not submitted we will not know that a place is needed. If you have a child who is ready for school in 2026, it is imperative that you to fill out an enrolment application. Applications can be accessed through the school website.

Enrolments for all other year levels are also open with applications available on the School Website www.ourladywallan.catholic.edu.au. There are limited places in some year levels so if you have a relative, friend or neighbour who is considering Our Lady of the Way as the school for their child, please inform them of the process required and encourage them to fill in an application as soon as possible.

SAFE PRACTICES IN AND AROUND CAR PARKS

Firstly, thank you to the large number of parents and carers who are following the safety procedures during before school drop off and after school pick up. However, I really do feel as though I am constantly repeating myself as we still have parents and carers who are ignoring the advice given in almost every newsletter.

When you are dropping your child off in the morning you can:

• park in the streets surrounding the school and allow your child to safely enter the school via one of the entrance gates, making sure they are walking along the pathways
• park in the Church car park and walk your child into the school
• drop your child off at the crossing next to the portico of the church where a staff member will ensure they walk safely along the pathways into the school

Cars should not pull up in the staff car park to let their children out. It is not a safe practice to double park in a car park and get your children to walk between parked cars. Thank you for your support in these areas, the safety of our community members is our number one priority.

LUNCH ORDERS!

All cancellations should come via the office. No contact should be made with the Cafe directly.

Students need a fruit snack and morning tea on days that lunch orders are placed. 

LABELLING UNIFORMS

Please ensure all uniform items are clearly labelled with your child’s name. We’ve been receiving uniforms in the office daily without any identifying labels, and unfortunately, these items cannot be returned to the students without proper identification. Please also check to see if your child has come home with another child's uniform item, and return it to the office if this is the case.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep track of all belongings!

FLU INJECTIONS

Many of our staff received the flu vaccination on Tuesday, April 29th, as part of our efforts to protect both themselves and our students from the spread of influenza. This is a timely reminder to speak with your GP about ways to protect yourself from common winter illnesses.

IMPORTANT! CONTACT DETAILS:

Please check PAM to ensure we have the most up to date contact details in case we need to contact you for any reason, especially an emergency. We also need to have at least one emergency contact listed in case we are unable to contact parents. 

School times are listed below.

School opens: 8.30am-8.45am (Teacher on duty)
Prayer and Roll: 8.45am-8.55am
Learning time: 8.55am-10.50am
Recess eating time: 10.50am-11.00am
Recess: 11.00am-11.30am
Learning time: 11.35-1.25pm
Lunch eating time: 1.25-1.35pm
Lunch playtime: 1.35-2.05pm
Learning time: 2.10-3.05pm
Packing up : 3.05-3.15pm
School finishes: 3.15pm (Teacher on duty until 3.30pm)

LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY PICK UPS

Please be mindful of the the above times if you need to pick up your child during the day. It is very hard to locate the students during outside play times which sometimes delays the early pick up. It would be beneficial to call or email ahead and advise what time you will be arriving to pick your child up.  

Sick Bay Information

Please ensure that all medical profiles and contact details are kept up to date on PAM. If you'd like to check the expiry dates of any medications, feel free to email the admin team — we’ll also send you a reminder as the dates approach.

Church Choir

We are looking for new members to join the Our Lady of the Way Church Children's choir. If your child loves to sing and become more involved in the parish, we would love you to join. The children’s choir will learn a range of liturgical songs and perform at school and church celebrations.

Practice on Tuesdays at 5.30pm in the Church and at the end of 9.00am Mass every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the Month.

To join or get more information please call Bernadette De Vos; 0411 353 600

Wellbeing

Learning and Teaching

Welcome to Term Two!

Dear Families,

Welcome back everyone to Term Two! I hope the break provided time for rest, reflection, and time together as a family.

This term is filled with wonderful learning opportunities. We are delighted that the excitement around our decodable books has been so strong that we have purchased even more titles for our students to enjoy and continue developing their reading
confidence.
Across the school, we continue to focus on strengthening learning routines, building strong foundations in literacy and numeracy. There are many special events planned this term, including whole-school learning initiatives.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. We look forward to a term filled with growth, achievement, and joy for all our students.

Thanks,
Liz Stoward

ANZAC Day

On the 25th of April 1915 the ‘ANZACS’ accompanied by British and French troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli (Ari Burnu, Beach Z). They reached a steep slope and had to climb it. They knew it was going to be dangerous but they did it anyway to protect their home nation. More than 10,000 people died and a year later on the 25th of April the first ANZAC Day was commemorated. This year we remember those soldiers who fought in Gallipoli 110 years ago. As representatives of Our Lady Of The Way, we had the privilege of laying the wreath at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Wallan. We were very happy with the amount of people who came wearing their school uniform to represent our school and at the same time to show their respects to the men and women who fought and served for our country. It was a wonderful service and it showed great respect to not only Australians but people who fought from all around the world. It was a great way to remember not only the people who passed but those who are still serving and currently fighting. It made us think deeply about the people who risked their lives to protect the citizens of this wonderful country. It was amazing to see everyone representing their schools or just to pay their own private respects to those who had fallen in war.

By Kaden Hamilton & Rocco Salomone (Year 6)

ANZAC Day, Wallan

District Cross Country

District Cross Country Trials over the next 2 weeks and the dates are as follows:

7th of May at 10am will be the 12+ Year Old Boys & Girls Trials (Born From 2013 and prior) 3KM Run

12th of May at 11:30am will be the 9/10 Year Old Boys & Girls Trials (Born either 2015 or 2016) 2KM Run

14th of May at 10am will be the 11 Year Old Boys & Girls Trials (Born in 2014) 3KM Run

Students who can't attend on that day will need a doctor's note as evidence to have a make up run or they will miss out. Teams will be communicated as soon as possible. As this will be held within school grounds and no permission slip will be needed.

CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING (after school) will run up until May 26th. Further training will be offered should we have any athletes progress to the next stages.. 

Year 5 Swimming Program

Our Year 5 students kicked off their swimming program this week with plenty of smiling faces and enthusiastic splashes! It was wonderful to see everyone having fun in the water. We know the students will enjoy this activity and continue building their skills with confidence.

French Words

French-Berthe Mouchette Poetry Competition

We have had great interest from students who have chosen to participate in the upcoming French Berthe Mouchette Poetry Competition. This competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to practice their French language skills and enhance their confidence in public speaking.

To help your child prepare for the competition, please note the following:

1. Poem Access: The competition poem is available on the French Google Classroom. Your child can find the poem and additional resources to help them practice.

2. Practice Resources: Along with the written poem, there is a link to listen to the poem, allowing students to practice along and familiarize themselves with pronunciation and rhythm.

3. Memorisation: Students are required to memorise the poem in preparation for the competition. They will need to recite the poem to a judge via Zoom during their individual performance.

4. Results and Finals: After the recitations, students will be notified of the results. Those who make it through to the finals will receive further instructions.

Please encourage your child to practice the poem regularly at home to ensure they are fully prepared. There will be some time allocated during French lessons and also during play times for practice. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to Madame Sonia Cook via email sonia.cook@ourladywallan.catholic.edu.au

We wish all students the best of luck and look forward to their performances!

Parents and Friends

A massive thank you to our wonderful Parents and Friends volunteers who generously give their time for the benefit of our students. Today's Mother’s Day Stall is a perfect example of their dedication. We all know the excitement and anticipation students feel when choosing something special for their loved ones. Once again, thank you to our amazing volunteers — your efforts make a real difference!

Safety around schools

Music Lessons

Before and After School Care

Community Events