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As we move into the final weeks of Term 3, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a positive and productive term. There’s a real sense of momentum and community across OLHOC, and I continue to feel grateful to be part of this school. I love my job, I love coming to work every day, and I love being part of a community that wants to be involved and be positive about all that we do.
OLHOC has always been a place I’ve wanted our staff, students, and families to feel they belong, a place they want to be. While we’re not perfect (and we never claim to be), I believe we’re doing a great job of learning from our mistakes, growing together, and striving to be better each day. No one gets it right all the time, and that’s okay. What matters is how we respond, how we learn, and how we move forward.
It’s important to acknowledge the past and learn from it, work on today, and build towards tomorrow. I encourage you to remind your children that success isn’t just about getting A’s and B’s it’s about the effort they put in, the resilience they show, and the pride they take in doing their best. The journey matters just as much as the destination.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” — Colossians 3:23
This reminds us that effort, intention, and heart are what truly matter. Whether in the classroom, on the playground, or at home, let’s continue to encourage our children to give their best and be proud of their progress.
I look forward to seeing you around the school whether it’s at the Mestrez Street gate or the Balaclava Road entrance. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to chat.
Brendon Napier
Principal
Dear Parents/Carers,
As we journey together through this term, there have been many moments of faith, joy, and community worth celebrating. I would like to share just a few highlights with you.
ACEC Faith Formation Event and Mass
Last Wednesday, fifty of our Year 5 and 6 students had the privilege of attending a special Faith Formation event led by renowned Catholic musicians Andrew Chinn and Gen Bryant. Alongside more than 1,000 students from across our diocese, our students sang, prayed, and reflected with great enthusiasm, showing a genuine joy in celebrating their faith. Their engagement carried through beautifully into the Australian Catholic Education Commission’s Conference Mass, where they joined 2,500 participants in a moving liturgical celebration. We are very proud of the way our students represented our school community with reverence, energy, and a true spirit of faith.
Religious Life of the school activities for the remainder of the term
| Week | Activity |
| Seven | Thursday 28th August – Year 1 Liturgy – 11:10 am in the Church |
| Friday 29th August - Year 5 Leadership, 8 am – 2:10 pm Seville Mercy Centre | |
| Eight | Season of Creation – 1st September – 4th October |
| · Peace Garden – meditations with Nature | |
| Friday 5th September – Whole school Father’s Day Liturgy – led by Prep – 8:45 am in the Hall. | |
| Nine | Thursday 11th September – Year 2 liturgy – 11:10 am in the Church |
| Thursday 11th September – Year 6 liturgy – camp- students only |
Year 5 Leadership Day Retreat
Year 5 students will take part in a special Leadership Day Retreat on Friday 29th August. This is a time set aside to reflect on the gifts they bring as servant leaders within our school community. While all students are called to be leaders, some will also take on additional positions of responsibility. Throughout the day, they will engage in workshops focused on our school values and explore ways they can bring these values to life in the year ahead.
Season of Creation
From 1 September to 4 October, we celebrate the Season of Creation, a special time in the Church’s year dedicated to prayer and action for our common home. It is an opportunity for us to pause, give thanks for the gift of God’s creation, and reflect on how we can care for our world with hope and responsibility. This year’s theme, “Peace with Creation,” calls us to recognise the deep connection between peace and the way we live in harmony with the earth, one another, and with God. As a school community, we are invited to consider small but meaningful ways we can show care for creation and work together towards a more just and sustainable future. Our Environment Mercy Workers have some very appropriate activities to offer our community during this important season.
With gratitude and blessings,
Dr Toni Foley
Assistant Principal - Religious Education
Dear Families,
Welcome to Week 7 of Term 3, it is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of August and fast approaching the end of this term.
Previous Reports - (SRS)
During Term 2, when sharing news about The Learning Dashboard, we alerted families that the previous reporting platform (SRS) would no longer be available to access. For those families who have not previously saved their child’s SRS reports when they were released, an EdSmart slip will be released this week where you can opt-in to receive a PDF copy of all previous reports.
While we will work through these requests as time allows, please note that this is not a priority task, as families have previously had access to these reports.
Moving forward, we encourage families to download and store copies of their child’s reports from The Learning Dashboard each semester as they are released.
Please note, this EdSmart slip is for students in Years 1-6 who have previously been enrolled at Our Lady Help of Christians.
Traffic - Stop, Drop and Go
A big thank you to all families for your attentiveness during before and after school times in the Stop, Drop and Go area on Balaclava Rd and Mestrez St. We’ve noticed a positive shift in traffic flow, especially in the mornings, with more families driving forward as far as possible in the line. This small change has made a big difference in reducing congestion and keeping our students safe.
Australian Catholic Education Conference
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Australian Catholic Education Conference, where I listened to a range of inspiring educational presenters. One highlight was hearing from Maryanne Thorne from Sydney Catholic Schools and leaders from the Australian Catholic University - Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, about their journey in improving reading instruction in K-2 classrooms. Over the past 3-5 years, Sydney Catholic Schools have shifted in their way of teaching reading to be more aligned with the most current research. Their approach is based on evidence-based and evidence informed practices, including the use of decodable texts and the systematic teaching of phonics. Listening to this presentation was both affirming and encouraging given the work currently being undertaken at Our Lady Help of Christians by our staff. It’s clear that we are on the right path in supporting our students’ literacy development and the guidance, professional development and modelling being provided to staff from our Leaders of Learning and Teaching, Madonna Archibald and Tammy Lacey, are laying a strong foundation for continued progress and positive outcomes.
Warm regards,
Karina Brady
Assistant Principal - Administration
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me on 4280 7200 (press 2 for accounts) or email: accounts.earlville@cns.catholic.edu.au
Lauren Blenkinsop
Finance Officer
Library News
Jill Watson and Paula Tindall
Borrowing Days
Please ensure your child brings their library bag and returns ALL borrowed books at their weekly session.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| Year 1 | Year 6 | Year 5 | Year 2 | Year 4 |
| Year 3 | Prep |
Overdue Books
We still have a large number of overdue library books. If you receive an email about overdue items, please take the time to search all the great book hiding places at home. Any library books not returned will be added to the school fee accounts next term.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the library staff if you have any queries. We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Book Week
A huge congratulations to the OLHOC students and staff who did a fantastic job in dressing up for our annual parade last Thursday. Students came to school dressed in a Book Week costume, based on either this year’s theme or their favourite book character. There were some amazing, curious and very imaginative characters wandering our school grounds. The smiles and expressions on the staff and student faces below, clearly show the day’s sense of fun and excitement.
In the morning, the students attended a special Book Week Assembly where students paraded around to show their great costumes. There were prizes awarded for the best dressed students and staff members.
Important Library Dates
These are some important whole school library dates and celebrations coming up for the remainder of this year. We will release more information about each activity closer to the date.
|
Term |
Activity |
|
4 |
|
Happy Reading,
The Library Team:
Paula Tindall and Jill Watson
Wonder of Science
Year 4 had the privilege of having a visit from two Young Science Ambassadors, Dr Soi & PhD student, Olivia in Week 5. They played a card game to help consolidate their understanding of food chains.
Both Year 4 & 5 Enrichment Science students are now beginning their group challenges where they need to conduct a fair test investigation. There may be another visit from the ambassadors in Week 9.
ICAS
18 students from Years 3-6 have participated in the ICAS assessments over the last few weeks. Mathematics was the most popular! Results, which are starting to be released, can be accessed online. Parents, please let Mrs Williams know if you do not receive any notification emails. Certificates will be presented in Term 4.
Opti-MINDS
It has been a busy seven weeks for 32 students preparing for the presentation day at JCU this Sunday. The theme of each challenge has been “Integrity”. Our six teams are finalising scripts, making props and costumes, creating slideshows and designing simple machines in a rush to be ready for Sunday.
A huge thank you to the staff who have volunteered their time to be judges on the day.
Still to come this term:
|
Inter-school Chess Tournament |
Thursday, 4th September @ TAS |
|
QAMT 5/6 Maths Quiz |
Wednesday, 10th September @ Peace Lutheran College 4.30pm |
Alison Williams
Enrichment Teacher
Blessing of the Animals
On Sunday 24th of August Our Lady Help of Christians School was the setting for a special occasion, with Father Nathan offering a Blessing of the Animals. Families from St Gerard Majella, St Mary’s Catholic College and Our Lady Help of Christians School were invited to bring their pets along their pets who were recognised as God’s creation. Father Nathan spoke of the importance of animals in our lives and we remembered those animals who are no longer with us. It was a terrific turnout with many dogs, one cat and three guinea pigs receiving a blessing and being sprinkled with holy water. All animals put on their best behaviour and most came dressed up for a fashion contest.
Thank you Father Nathan. We hope this will become an annual event to celebrate together.
Lucy’s 5th Birthday
It’s been a big week for OLHOC’s favourite wellbeing dog. On Sunday Lucy received a blessing from Father Nathan, and today is her 5th birthday!
To celebrate Lucy’s birthday, students are writing poems about her and folding origami Lucy lookalikes. We will post samples of these student tributes on our school FaceBook page soon.
Happy Birthday Lucy. Thank you for being our loving, joyful wellbeing dog.
Season of Creation celebrations
The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical celebration from
1 September to 4 October
During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. At Our Lady Help of Christians School, we will offer students an opportunity to contemplate the meaning of Creation through meditation. Students will gather in an outdoor space to be enveloped in nature, relax on a yoga mat and be led through a meditation exercise with a Creation theme.
Creation Meditation will run on Mondays at morning tea in Weeks 8-10. To help foster a suitable tone for meditation, student numbers will be limited.
If your child is interested in participating in this mindful activity, use the TryBooking link to indicate their intention to attend. Please note the separate links for different year levels.
Week 8 Monday 1/9/25 Year 5&6 students Click on this link
Week 9 Monday 8/9/25 Year 3& 4 students Click on this link
Week 10 Monday 15/9/25 Prep, Year 1&2 students Click on this link 
Additional activities for the Season of Creation will include:
- a peace garden created by the Environment Mercy Workers. This will be within the school grounds for all to enjoy.
- An art competition with Caritas Australia. Please see the flyer for further details.
Garden Club update
- In Term 2 students planted a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers.
- From the beginning of Term 3 we began harvesting our tomatoes, carrots, beetroot and lettuce. This organically grown produce is delivered to Ms Carmen in the Tuckshop to use in delicious and healthy lunches enjoyed by our students and staff. We ask that students do not pick anything from the vegetable garden unless they are with a staff member.
- In Week 5 we planted a variety of flower seeds in the old desk tubs to attract butterflies and other insects. Keep an eye out for these seeds sprouting. Flowers should appear by the end of this term to create a colourful display.
- In Weeks 6 and 7, students created grass-head people. They took a stocking, sprinkled some grass seeds inside, filled it with soil, then glued on googly eyes. These were taken home to be placed in the sun, sitting in a cup of water so that the grass seeds will grow and become the hair on their grass-head person.
- Garden Club is open to all students. We meet near the Chill Zone on Tuesdays at morning tea break.
- A big thank you to the P&F for the funding of Garden Club activities.
Mrs Wunsch
Student Wellbeing
If you miss the cut-off for Flexischools, you can ring and order through the Tuckshop directly and pay by credit card over the phone.
Carmen Mellor
Tuckshop Convenor
Hi OLHOC community,
Our next P&F Meeting is being held on Tuesday 9th September at 5.15pm in the STEM Lab.
Babysitting and pizza provided.
Hope to see you there.
From the P&F Executive Team
The MyCE app will now be our main way of communicating with parents. If you have more than one student attending at different catholic schools, you will be able to see all of them on the one app, instead of accessing the different school portals.
Things that will be able to be seen/accessed on MyCE:
- School Reports (via The Learning Dashboard, NOT Academic Reports)
- Edsmart slips
- Advising of absences
- Access to newsletters
- School Calender, etc
If you require any assistance with the MyCE App, please contact the office.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to ILS Cairns for their generous support of our 2025 Book Week Parade. By providing a mobility scooter for the event, ILS Cairns has helped ensure that all students can take part and enjoy this special celebration.
ILS (Independent Living Specialists) is a leading provider of mobility aids, home care equipment, and daily living solutions. Their Cairns showroom offers a wide range of products for sale and hire, including mobility scooters, wheelchairs, lift chairs, bathroom aids, and more – all designed to support greater independence and quality of life.
Visit ILS Cairns at 1/165 English Street, Cairns, or learn more at www.ilsau.com.au
Our holiday programme is a 'STAY ACTIVE' holiday programme where we just keep the kids moving from 8am - 5pm with awesome activities including:
- Tennis
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Baseball
- Hockey
- Touch Football
- Shoe Golf
- and much more!
We are a locally owned business that has been established since 2008 and have been running these camps for over 5 years now and they are incredibly popular. Our senior all staff have:
- Working with Children Checks
- Police Checks
- First Aid Certificates
- All As Per 'Tennis Australia' Governance Criteria
We only offer 50 spaces each day and they usually fill up relatively quickly via the 600+ families we have in our regular tennis coaching programmes across Cairns so we always advise to book early to avoid disapointment.
Please see our website to get an understanding as to what we're all about: Holiday Website.....PRESS HERE
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Kind Regards,
Wayne Fielder
Director of Tennis
Baseline Tennis Coaching Academy
Email: wayne@baselinetennisacademy.com.au
Website: https://baselinetennisacademy.com.au
