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God of love,

May the truth of your mercy radiate throughout the world and be a beacon for those without knowledge of you.

Help us to be your advocates and witnesses in our broken world.

We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Dear Parents and Caregivers

It’s hard to believe that we’re two-thirds into Term One but it’s pleasing to see everyone settling into school routines so easily.  OLSOTS has a very friendly culture and I know that the staff and the students new to the school (including me) are already feeling very welcome.  I have really appreciated the warm ‘good morning’ from parents and students as they enter OLSOTS each morning.

We had our first Parents & Friends meeting a couple of weeks ago with five parents in attendance.  We talked about both the fund-raising and ‘friend-raising’ aspects of the organisation with a commitment that each is really important to build on the strong community spirit that already exists at the school.  I extend my thanks to the following for taking on formal roles in the OLSOTS P & F in 2026:

Tash McCarthy (Chair)

Brooke Bone (Secretary)

Aimee Dixon (Treasurer)

Sarah McLean & Laura Henderer (Committee Members).

You will all know that the organisation of the annual Easter Egg Raffle has begun and I thank all families for their support of same.

The school’s athletics faction carnival was very successfully held last Friday.  The names of the faction and individual winners (and runner-ups) are included elsewhere in this newsletter but I do want to initially acknowledge the terrific job done by Miss Holly Panizza in her organisation of the day.  Thanks are also extended to the many parent helpers, the family members spectating (and running in the staff/student/parent relay!), the staff involved in the preparation of the day, the student helpers from Esperance Anglican Community School and, of course, all of the students who participated with a really good spirit.

This week OLSOTS, as well as all other Australian schools, has been involved in the NAPLAN literacy and numeracy testing.  Our Year Three and Year Five students  have been well prepared by their teachers and we wish them well as they undertake testing in Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Writing and Mathematics.

Finally, the process to appoint a new principal to OLSOTS is well underway with shortlisting and interviews taking place in the past fortnight. Thank you to Nicole Vallentgoed (OLSOTS School Advisory Council Chair) for representing OLSOTS on the appointment panel. The announcement will take place soon with the successful person visiting OLSOTS prior to beginning the role at the start of Term Two.

Kind regards

Tony Curry

PROJECT COMPASSION BOX – SUPPORTING CARITAS

This year you can use the QR code to donate online – just scan the QR code on the box and it will be added to our schools fundraising total! 

Caritas Australia – Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School 

MJR Ministry

The MJR Ministry handed out project compassion boxes to each class on Ash Wednesday. They have displayed posters around the school highlighting this important fundraising initiative during Lent.   

Project Compassion was launched online on Tuesday 4 March in schools and communities. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten Appeal which funds the continuing work of Caritas Australia in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and Australian Indigenous communities. This year, Project Compassion focuses on ‘Unite Against Poverty’. It throws a spotlight on global food issues and how Caritas Australia is empowering the world’s poorest people to establish sustainable food sources. Project Compassion is an opportunity to share what we have with those who have less. Please return the Project Compassion boxes at the end of term. Any donations go a long way to help the fight against poverty.    

More information: https://fundraise.projectcompassion.org.au/ 

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM – LITERACY AND NUMERACY (NAPLAN TESTING) – Years Three and Five

Students in Years Three and Five started the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy tests (NAPLAN) this week. NAPLAN will be conducted from Wednesday 11 March to Wednesday 18 March. A flyer explaining NAPLAN testing has already been sent to relevant families. 

HARMONY WEEK: 16 – 23 March

Harmony Week is an important occasion that celebrates our diversity, while promoting inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all. We will be celebrating Harmony Week on Thursday 19 March students are encouraged to dress in clothing that reflects their culture or orange to support Harmony Week. 

Please ensure all Book Club orders have been submitted before 16 March. Book Club Issue 2 

How Parents can order from Book Club online: 

1. Log in, or create a new account at LOOP
2. New parents can follow the Wizard to set up a child’s profile  
3. Click the Order tab, and select the child’s school and Issue of Book Club  
4. Select your child’s name  
5. Enter the product item number from the Book Club catalogue  
6. Apply promotional codes that children may have earned from previous issues  
7. Make a payment via credit card  
8. Feel great about the Scholastic Rewards that have been earned for the school 

Faction Athletics Carnival 2026

Our 2026 Faction Athletics Carnival was a fantastic day. The oval was full of energy as students participated in a range of track and field events, including running, jumping, and throwing, while cheering on their classmates and factions.

We are incredibly proud of all students for giving things a go, showing great sportsmanship, and encouraging one another throughout the day. Many students stepped outside their comfort zones and gave their best effort, which is what the carnival is all about.

We would also like to thank our fantastic helpers, EACS students, OLSOTS staff and families for their support in helping the day run so smoothly.

Congratulations to our champions, runner ups and record breakers who achieved outstanding results in their events. Most importantly, well done to all students for their participation, effort, and team spirit which all made the day such a success.

First Mackillop 556.50 Points

Second Salvator 431.50 Points

Third Xavier 408 Points

Records Breakers 

Sam Dixon broke the record held for Year 2 Boys Long Jump (3.24m) and equalled the record for Year 2 Boys 50m (8.6 secs).

Ali Dellahide broke the record for Year 2 Long Jump (2.96m).

We have had a wonderful start to the term exploring ways to understand and manage our big emotions. This week, our Year Two students created their own “Emotion Snow Globes” as part of a lesson on emotional regulation. We discussed how our brains can sometimes feel like a shaken snow globe when we are angry, worried or upset — our thoughts swirl around and it can feel hard to make good choices.

Students reflected on what big emotions feel like in their bodies and practised healthy ways to calm themselves. As we shook our snow globes and watched the glitter settle, we took deep breaths and imagined our feelings settling too. This hands-on activity helped students understand that emotions are normal and, with calming strategies, they pass. We are so proud of how thoughtfully the students engaged in this learning!

This term the Year Three/Four students have been learning about sustainability and communities in Religion and Technologies. As part of our work during Lent, the class has organised a Containers for Change fundraiser to support Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion, which raises funds to help communities around the world overcome poverty and build a better future. Students are encouraging all classes to collect their 10-cent containers and place them in their class green bags. The Year Three/Four students will tally the containers each week and keep track of the totals on our school display. The class that collects the most cans will win a faction shirt day and free time in Week Nine. Through this initiative, students are learning how small actions, like recycling, can help care for our environment while also supporting people in need.

URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million kids, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.

You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

As a next step, we would recommend:

• Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
• Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
• Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!

We believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness at our school and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships.

The P & F held our first meeting for 2026 in late February. It was wonderful to welcome some new faces and start planning for the year ahead. Our committee for 2026 is:

• Chair: Tash McCarthy

• Secretary: Brooke Bone

• Treasurer: Aimee Dixon

• General Members: Laura Henderer and Sarah McLean

A short survey has been sent to all parents about P & F events and volunteering opportunities via SeeSaw this week. We’d love to hear from you! Please access the link to let us know your interests and availability to help us create fun and meaningful events for our students, families and the wider school community.

Our Easter Raffle is also underway, with ticket books recently sent home. We are still gratefully accepting donations for the prize pool — these can be dropped into the school office. Please remember to return ticket stubs and money by Monday 30 March. If you sell through your allocation, extra ticket books are available from the office.

Thank you for your support — we’re looking forward to a great year ahead!

Tash McCarthy

P & F Chair

Christ Church Grammar School is excited to connect with families considering a boarding education for their son.

Join us for a special sundowner event featuring Mr Ryan Lasscock, Head of AFL and First XVIII Coach. Ryan will share insights into his role and vision for the Christ Church AFL program, including how he is developing pathways for players and fostering a culture of excellence on and off the field.

Ryan brings a wealth of experience to Christ Church, having served as Colts Head Coach at West Perth (2017 to 2023), Assistant Coach at the WAFC State Academy (2019 to 2021) and Senior Assistant Coach at East Perth (2024). A respected leader in the game, he was the 2022 WAFL Coach of the Year and WAFL Colts Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2022.

Also attending will be Director of Boarding Todd Harnwell and Admissions Registrar Sarah Boulton, who will provide updates on boarding life, our relationship with girls’ schools, and student rites of passage programs.This is a joint event with our sister school, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, and we invite you to share it with friends and family considering a Christ Church education for their son.

Date: Thursday 26 March

Time: 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Venue: Taylor Street Quarters

RSVP: Please click here to register