Deputy News

What a fabulous OLSC Day celebration we had on Monday.  We began the day with Mass which was led by our Year 9 students and our wonderful choir. When then headed into 12 different activity rotations in our House groups.  These activities were developed, organised and led by our student leaders, both Prefects and House Leaders and they were both fun and challenging.  A huge shout out to these leaders who did an amazing job before and on the day, and to Miss Fry who works with them each week.  Their dedication to College Spirit was really in action on Monday.  We finished off the day with ball games and a few fun relays.  All of these activities earned house points for the teams and these points will contribute to the 2025 House Cup. 

Technology changes and parenting

As a teacher but more so as a mum of a teenager and tween I understand the challenges that technology brings to our children’s lives. We give them access via our smart tvs, our phones or even their own to a world that we do not control. Recently the Australian Government has made some changes to the laws in a bid to protect our children.  Getting our heads around what this means can be daunting.  I encourage parents to access resources available to help you navigate this with your families.  Last week I mentioned this great resource the eSafety website to support your learning and development in this rapidly changing space.  They offer parent targeted webinars on many topics all relevant to us as we navigate this online world alongside our children. Their website is a great support and I encourage others to access these webinars Webinars for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner. Another great resource was released from CTRL SHFT (previously safe on socials) Join Safe on Social | Leaders in Safe on Social Education | CTRL+SHFT Global that specifically addresses parents questions around what the Australian 16+ Age delay.

Congratulations to our 2026 Prefects who were announced on Monday. 

College Captains: Penelope Doherty and Henry Stephens

Prefects: Emma Cusack, Hazel Fernan, Jack Gibson, Lana O’Callaghan

Grandparents Day – Friday 19 September

Only two weeks to go until Grandparents Day. This is a special day in our College calendar each year as we invite in our grandparents to a special prayer celebration and classroom visit. Grandparents are such a great support to our families, and we love being able to welcome them into our College and celebrate them on this day. This is a P-12 event, you are never too old to have your grandparents visit your classroom. The morning begins with a welcome cuppa and chat with fellow grandparents and a prayer celebration before grandparents are invited to join their grandchildren in their classrooms. This truly is one of my favourite days in our College calendar as the joy on the faces of both our students and their grandparents at being able to share this time together is priceless. This year Grandparent’s Day will be held on the last Friday of Term 3, 19 September. Please spread the word with your grandparents for this event. RSVP is now open; this assists us with seating and catering for this event. Link to RSVP or use QR Code

College Excellence Awards

On 19 November at 9:15am, we will host our 2026 College Excellence Awards. These awards are nominated and confirmed by staff at the College and encompass all four of our College Domains: Academic, Spiritual, Sport and Arts. We look forward to this occasion showcasing the great achievements of students at the College this year. Parents are notified via Sentral for Parents in Term 4 if their child/ren are recipients of an award.

Each newsletter in coming weeks I will showcase a different domain (or two) with the awards we present.

Arts and Sports Awards

These categories are calculated on participation and levels of achievement in the areas of Arts and Sport.

Timetable and Class structures for 2026

We are currently in the process of reviewing and setting our timetable and class structures for 2026. There are many layers to this process and quite a lot of work in it. Subject choices and future pathways are a large part of this review process. Later this year, students in Year 8-10 in 2026 will be given the opportunity to select some of their subjects. Students in Year 11 will make choices based on their future pathway plans informed by their SET Plan meetings.

Once structures are finalised the creation of class lists for the new school year will commence. Factors taken into consideration when allocating students in each year level include the following

• projected number of students in each year level and past trends
• gender ratio
• spread of students with respect to academic performance, social development and classroom behaviour
• the best educational needs of the student
• special circumstances such as twins or individual family members
• classroom observations

It is acknowledged by all, that friendships are important. However, to ensure balanced classes as outlined above, friendship groups are not a primary determining factor in class allocation. Parents and carers may provide the College with specific information about their child’s learning or social needs that they believe the College may not be aware of. Such information would not include a request for a particular teacher. The information should be provided in writing by completing the Consideration for Class Allocation form to the Principal during the consultation phase in Week 9/10, Term 3.

In future newsletters I will continue to communicate information about 2026, alongside information communicated by APs to students and families that pertains to specific year levels. 

Crutches

In our Senior Years we have several classrooms upstairs. It is important for student safety that when students are on crutches, we relocate their classrooms to downstairs classrooms wherever possible. If your child is in Year 9-12 or studying Drama in Year 7-8 and they have an injury that requires crutches, please let the College office know so we can make arrangements to move their classes downstairs for the duration of their recovery. Once they are off their crutches we will return their classrooms to their normal location.

Mrs Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Mission and Identity