Assistant Principal's News
Welcome back to another exciting and busy term at OLV! Term 4 is always filled with wonderful opportunities and special events that bring our community together. We look forward to celebrating our students who are completing the Sacramental program, enjoying the fun of our School Colour Run, and sharing in reflection and growth during the Year 5 and Year 6 Retreat Days. Our Kindergarten 2026 Orientation Days will welcome our newest learners, while Year 6 students prepare for the next step in their journey through high school transition days. We’ll also finish the year with great energy at our swimming carnival. Please remember to check Compass notifications regularly for details and updates on these exciting events throughout the term.
Exploring the New Creative and Practical Arts Syllabus
This term, teachers at OLV are engaging in professional learning to familiarise themselves with the new Creative and Practical Arts syllabus, which will be implemented in 2026. This exciting update focuses on nurturing creativity, imagination, and self-expression through the interrelated practices of making, composing, performing, exhibiting, appreciating, and listening.
What your child will learn:
Students will explore Dance, Drama, Music, and Visual Arts, developing their creativity and imagination through hands-on, expressive experiences. They will learn to use their senses, express their ideas, work collaboratively, and appreciate how the arts communicate meaning across cultures and time.
Key skills and knowledge:
Your child will gain a deep understanding of each art form’s unique knowledge, creative processes, and ways of viewing the world.
Interrelated practices:
Learning will be connected through the six core practices — making, composing, performing, exhibiting, appreciating, and listening — helping students understand how creativity flows between different art forms.
A focus on creativity:
The syllabus encourages curiosity, creativity, and imagination, giving students opportunities to express themselves and collaborate in meaningful ways.
Cultural awareness:
A key element of the new syllabus is the recognition and appreciation of diverse creative arts practices, with a strong emphasis on the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Australia’s rich cultural landscape.
The new syllabus promises to inspire a love of the arts and empower students to think creatively, expressively, and critically about the world around them.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) Focus – Term Overview
This term, our PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) program will centre around two important focus areas that reflect our school’s core Pillars of LIVE and LOVE.
‘In truth we LIVE’ – We wear our uniform with pride. We stay focused on the task and work to the best of our ability.
This focus reminds students to take pride in being part of the OLV community and to demonstrate commitment and responsibility in all they do. Wearing the uniform neatly shows respect for our school, while staying on task and giving our best effort helps us to grow as learners and role models.
‘In truth we LOVE’ – We listen to our teachers and peers. We wait our turn.
Through this focus, students are encouraged to show kindness, respect, and empathy in their interactions. Listening carefully and waiting patiently demonstrates love and consideration for others, helping to build a positive, inclusive learning environment.
Across the term, students will take part in explicit PB4L lessons designed to teach and reinforce these expectations. Positive behaviour will be celebrated through our token system, recognising students who consistently show what it means to LIVE and LOVE in truth.
Together, we continue to strengthen our caring school community where every student can learn, grow, and thrive.
Debating Success
During Term 3, Mr Treloar coached the OLV debating team, helping them learn about the structure of a debate and the specific roles within a debating team. On Thursday, our OLV students represented the school proudly at the Norths Regional Debating Competition held at Corpus Christi, Waratah.
We congratulate Pippa, Kasey, and Indy from Year 6 and Sophia from Year 5 for their outstanding efforts and achievements on the day.
In their first debate against St Brigid’s, Raymond Terrace, the topic was “Video games are beneficial.” OLV argued the negative side, presenting strong points about the effects of excessive gaming on mental and physical health, and the risks young children face when gaming online. Their teamwork and well-structured rebuttals helped them secure a win in the first round!
The second debate against St Michael’s, Nelson Bay was on the topic “Fast food is dangerous.” This time, the team argued the affirmative side, presenting convincing arguments and demonstrating excellent collaboration. Although the adjudicator described it as a very close debate, OLV narrowly missed out on the win. Despite the result, the team showed impressive resilience—discussing how they could improve next time and showing true leadership and sportsmanship.
A special mention goes to Dylan (Year 6), who served as chairperson for the first round of debates. He did an excellent job introducing the teams, announcing the topics, and keeping the debates running smoothly.
Congratulations to all our debaters- it was a privilege to watch you work together, represent OLV with pride, and demonstrate such confidence, teamwork, and respect.
