Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School East Warrnambool eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Our Grade 4 students have created personalised Acknowledgement of Country posters that reflect their own thoughts, feelings and wishes. We will share a new poster each week.

Prayer

All Saints & All Souls Day

Last weekend, we celebrated two beautiful days in our Church’s calendar — All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (2nd November). These feasts remind us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves — a great story of faith, love, and hope that stretches across time and place.

All Saints Day celebrates all the holy people — known and unknown — who have lived lives of love and courage. Some are famous saints like Mary MacKillop or St Francis of Assisi, while others are everyday people who showed kindness, forgiveness, and faith in quiet, simple ways. In many ways, the saints are the influencers of goodness — people who remind us that living with compassion and purpose can change the world.

All Souls Day is a moment to pause and remember those we’ve loved who have died. It’s a day of gratitude for the memories, lessons, and love they’ve left with us. We hold them close in prayer, trusting that love never ends — it just changes shape.

At school, we invite students to think about the “saints” in their own lives — the grandparents, teachers, friends, and everyday heroes who help them grow into their best selves. Together, we remember that holiness isn’t about perfection — it’s about love in action..

All Saints, All Souls Days and Halloween

Halloween, which is a contraction of the words All Hallows’ Eve, is observed on October 31 across the world. The celebration marks the day before the Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day. In much of Europe and most of North America, observance of Halloween is largely non religious yet its origins are deeply religious.

Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain, celebrated on Nov 1st by the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld. People set bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognised by the ghosts thought to be present. In the 7th century CE Pope Boniface IV established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following century, perhaps in an effort to supplant the pagan holiday with a Christian observance, it was moved to November 1. The evening before All Saints’ Day became a holy, or hallowed, eve and thus Halloween. When large numbers of immigrants, including the Irish, went to the United States beginning in the mid 19th century, they took their Halloween customs with them, and in the 20th century Halloween became one of the principal U.S. holidays, particularly among children.

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

Tomorrow evening the Catholic Community of Lady Help of Christians will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Church. Bishop Paul Bird CssR will join and lead the community in a celebration of The Eucharist with mass at 6:00 pm. To mark this special occasion there will also be display boards in the foyer. We will open the oval to allow for extra parking.

As we plough through term 4 one of the biggest challenges is staying on top of what is happening around the school. Today our grade 1’s have had a big day trip to Werribee Zoo. It remains a busy place.

New and prospective families continue to make inquiries into possible enrolment at OLHC and wherever possible I try to personally meet and tour these parents and children around the school. Without failure, the reoccurring comment is how calm it is in the classes. To be fair, a 3 pm tour on a Friday may look a bit different !!

Having said that, I am proud of how our/your children consistently present themselves in class time. Besides always greeting me in a natural and friendly manner, they remain engaged in class activities and in the main, are very respectful of their teachers.

Lastly, this week I invited Sheree Dubois up to take some photos of our children in action as one summer job will be to freshen up our webpage and published materials. Sheree is the mother of Banjo and Coco Auld and Naish's wonderful wife. Her photography is incredible and our school is very appreciative of her generosity in doing this as a favour to the OLHC. Your reward will be great, Sheree!!!

Important Dates

Term 4

Monday 10th November - SAC Meeting/Dinner

Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance Day

Tuesday 11th November - Tennis Hotshots Competition - Colac

Wednesday 12th November - Yr 5 Emmanuel College Visit

Friday 14th November - Assembly FJF

Monday 17th November - Yr 3 Gymnastics Excursion

Thursday 20th November - End of Year Mass @ 10am

24th - 28th November - Yr 4 Bike Ed

Wednesday 26th November - Yr 2 Poetry Cafe

Wednesday 26th November - 2026 Foundation Transition

Friday 28th November - Assembly 1JA

Friday 28th November - Community Picnic & Young Entrepreneurs Evening 5pm to 7pm

Tuesday 2nd December - 2026 Foundation Transition

Wednesday 3rd December - Yr 6 I AM Exhibition

Monday 8th December - Yr 6 Beach Education

Tuesday 9th December - Orientation Day, whole school

10th - 12th December - Yr 6 Beach Education

Thursday 11th December - Yr 6 Graduation

Friday 12th December - Foundation Fun Day

Friday 12th December - Final Assembly 4TD

Monday 15th December - Yr 4 Fun Day

Tuesday 16th December - Yr 3 & Yr 6 Fun Days

Wednesday 17th December - Yr 1 & Yr 5 Fun Day

Thursday 18th December - Yr 2 Fun Day

Thursday 18th December - Last day for students - Normal Finish Time 3.20pm

Friday 19th December - Last day for staff

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

Week 5 Term 4 with Mr A

AUTHOR VISIT- AMELIA MELLOR

On Thursday, our Grade 6 cohort had the luck of spending some time with Amelia Mellor, who is a children’s book author. Amelia has written a number of high-class novels, including our Grade 5 Novel, The Grandest Bookshop in the World. There were some great questions to come from the groups, and a big thanks to Mrs Thring and Mrs Taggert for organising this.

WELLBEING DAY- COLOUR YOUR WORLD WITH KINDNESS- THIS THURSDAY

All the SRC members are looking forward to running Kindness Day this Thursday, which has been well supported by our MHiPS Leader, Mel Willis. One of the positive aspects of the day is how the team has linked the concept of kindness to our Catholic tradition and to the way Jesus lived his life. It should be a great day for our students. Well done team!

SCHOOL REPORTS

School reports will be released on Thursday, 18th December, which is the last day of the school year for students.

SENSORY GARDEN

If you have a spare moment, head up to the Sensory Garden and check out some of the handiwork our Hands On Learning team has done. Very impressive stuff and a big thanks to Katie, Ava, Brendan and Mark for supporting.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks,

Naish

Technology Toolkit with Ms Fitzgerald and Ms O'Keeffe

A space providing weekly snapshots of student learnings, as well as online safety tips and relevant technology updates. Please reach out with any questions:

Ms O’Keeffe: nokeeffe@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au (Mon & Tues)

Ms Fitzgerald: efitzgerald@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au (Wed, Thurs & Fri)

eSafety Commissioner tips for navigating the new Social Media Laws

Faith & Culture

Parish Office Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

webpage : https://www.southwestcoastparish.com.au/

Weekend Masses

Saturday Vigil

6:00pm OLHC, Warrnambool East

Sunday Morning

9:00am Infant Jesus, Koroit

9:00am St Pius X, Warrnambool West

10:30am St Joseph’s, Warrnambool

10:30am St Patrick’s, Port Fairy

6:00pm St Joseph’s Warrnambool

*11:00am St Anne’s, Purnim

2nd Sunday of the month (Eucharist)

Weekday Masses

NB: MASS OF THE DAY IS REPLACED WHEN A FUNERAL IS HELD AT THAT CHURCH

Tues 10:00am St Pius X

Wed 10:00am St Joseph’s

Thu 10:00am OLHC & 11:00am Mercy Place

Fri 10:00am St Joseph’s

Sat 10:00am OLHC

Clearing the Clutter:
Making Space for God in Our Schools
(John 2: 13 - 22)

Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” (John 2: 15 - 16)

Jesus enters the Temple, the sacred heart of Jewish faith, and finds it overrun by noise, distraction, and self-interest. The Temple, meant to be a house of prayer, had become a marketplace. With courage and conviction, Jesus clears it out, declaring, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!”

It’s a confronting image: Jesus overturning tables, challenging comfort, calling people back to what truly matters.

On this Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the “mother church” of the world, we remember not just a building of stone and marble, but the living Church, the Body of Christ, that each of us is part of. The Lateran Basilica stands as a symbol of unity, mission, and the living presence of God among God’s people.

For us as educators in Catholic schools, this feast is a call to renewal. It reminds us that we are temples too, living stones in the Church’s mission. The classrooms, playgrounds, and staffrooms we inhabit each day are sacred spaces where God desires to dwell. And sometimes, like Jesus in the Temple, we need to pause, look around, and ask:

What needs to be cleared away so that God’s presence can be felt more deeply here?

In our schools, it’s easy for the noise to take over: data, deadlines, reports, meetings, policies, programs. Important things, yes, but not the most important thing. Our mission isn’t simply to educate minds; it’s to form hearts that can see God in the world. To help our students encounter truth, beauty, justice, and love.

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple wasn’t about destruction; it was about restoration. He was making space for holiness again. As Catholic educators, we’re called to that same kind of courageous renewal:

Making Space

It was the Monday after a busy weekend at Saint Mary’s School. Ms. Rivera, a teacher known for her creative lessons, stepped into her classroom and immediately felt overwhelmed. Desks were cluttered with half-finished art projects, backpacks overflowed, and sticky notes with reminders covered every surface. Even the prayer corner, usually a calm, sacred spot, was buried under worksheets and lunchboxes.

She sighed. “How did it get like this so fast?” she whispered.

Across town, the Nguyen family was having a similar experience. Between soccer practice, music lessons, work calls, and homework, the dinner table had become more of a storage space than a place to connect. Mum tried to start a prayer before dinner, but it was drowned out by notifications and chatter. Even the small prayer space in the corner felt forgotten, buried under mail and school papers.

That evening, both Ms. Rivera and the Nguyen family reflected on Jesus in the Temple, clearing out the chaos to make room for what truly mattered. And they realised something important.

It wasn’t about blame or perfection. It was about space. Space for God. Space for connection. Space for the things that count.

The next day, Ms. Rivera asked her students to help “clear the clutter.” They organised supplies, set up the prayer corner, and created a small wall of gratitude. By the end of the morning, the room felt lighter, calmer, and more alive.

At home, the Nguyen family cleared the table, lit a candle, and shared one thing they were grateful for. Phones were put aside. Laughter returned. And their small prayer space was cleaned and adorned with fresh flowers. For the first time in weeks, they felt God’s presence again.

Jesus’ actions in the Temple remind us that holiness isn’t about perfection. It’s about courage. Courage to see what distracts us, clear it out, and make space for what matters. Whether in classrooms, homes, or parish life, God is asking us to create living spaces where faith, love, and presence can flourish.

Clutter becomes clarity, noise becomes presence, and ordinary spaces become sacred.

Wellbeing

If you want to learn to ride a skateboard or get better at maths, you need to practise. It’s the same when you want to feel happier!

Here are some easy ideas to give Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy a try every day. Because the more you practise, the better you will feel.