Term 1 Week 3 2025 Newsletter
Contents
- Useful Links
- From the Principal
- 2025 school staff
- From the Assistant Principal Religious Identity & Mission
- From the Assistant Principal Learning, Engagement & Teaching
- 2025 Student Free Day Dates
- Class update - RDS
- RDS class update gallery
- Class update - 1AM
- 1AM class update gallery
- Class update - 2JC
- 2JC class update gallery
- Class update - 2KW
- 2KW class update gallery
- Class update - 5/6SH
- 5/6SH class update gallery
- Early Learning @ OLQP!
- Parents and Friends Committee update
- Second hand uniform shop
- Before & After School Care
- Community News
- GAP Football Training
- Australian Sports Camps
- Grange Hockey Club
- Hook in 2 Hockey

Term 1 Week 3 2025 Newsletter

Download any of the following documents by clicking on the link.
Student absence / late arrival / early departure information
Policies
Playgroup & Occasional Care
Parents & Friends Committee
- Email: PnF@olqp.catholic.edu.au
Second hand uniform shop
- Please note that the Parents and Friends Committee is no longer accepting uniforms for sale on consignment.
Enrolments
Canteen
Qkr!

Welcome to a new school year – new and existing students, staff and families! Our school enrolments continue to grow and, consequently, so too have the number of classes and staff. This year we have transitioned to a 12 class school plus mid year enrolment class.
Always at the forefront of my mind are the students; we ensure that we are providing excellent education, in a caring, safe and loving environment. To achieve this, we have:
- continued to employ excellent staff;
- increased the leadership team;
- a Wellbeing Leader on site 4 days a week;
- built consistency throughout the school;
Support
We have many support structures to support student learning and development, however, we also need your support for the school to continue to be successful:
- Ensure that your student is in the correct uniform and wears it well.
- Support your child to ensure they arrive at school on time and regularly.
- Ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
- Celebrate your child’s learning and growth,
- Let people know about the school and what you love about it (casual conversations, Facebook groups, etc).
- Follow and use the structures, procedures, protocols, and routines that we have in place at the school, eg signing in, contacting the school if your child is absent.
- Help out when and if you are able to.
Students experience the best success when school and family work in partnership. Thank you for trusting OLQP with the care of your child.
Building plans
To accommodate the increasing size of our school, we had to shuffle some of the rooms around. Looking forward, the school is likely to continue to grow. It is important that we are ready for this growth and that our school is designed for contemporary teaching and learning. There is a lot of research regarding how the learning environment impacts on learning. A simple example of this is how the reduction of overwhelming wall colourings can improve student concentration - we implemented the removal of coloured pinboards throughout the school and replaced them with a soft grey colour.
We have and continue to work closely with Catholic Education regarding the future plans of the school and its possible building needs. We are near completing our Master Plan. We have a strong focus on addressing the needs of students, maximising learning opportunities, minimising disruption, and not impacting on our outdoor and play spaces.
I look forward to sharing more information with you in the near future.
Year calendar
The year calendar is currently being finalised and will be distributed to families on Monday 17 Monday 2025.
Student free days
The 2025 student free days are confirmed and will also be included in the calender. With School Board approval, OSHC will be available on the student free days except for the Term 3 student free day. This is a day of staff formation and it is important that all staff are involved.
Please record these important student free day dates in your diary:
- Term 1: Friday 7 March 2025
- Term 2: Tuesday 10 June 2025
- Term 3: Friday 29 August 2025 (Staff Retreat Day - No OSHC available)
- Term 4: Friday 12 December 2025 (Last day of the school year)
I look forward to a great year ahead.
Lee Abela
Principal

Classroom teachers
Reception RDS - Diem Savy
Reception RBH - Bianca Holler
1TM – Tara May
1AM – Amy Mackay
2JC – James Cummings / Rachael Stathis
2KW – Kim Whyte / Tania Passmore
3/4OM – Olivia Mammone
3/4NU – Natalie Urdanoff
3/4SM – Sarah May
5/6BC – Billy Creeper
5/6TA – Tom Atyeo
5/6SH – Sue Hackett / Druscilla Fabretto
Specialist teachers
PE – Matthew Annetta
Science – Elle Fairweather
Music/Drama – Andrew Heuzenroeder
Spanish – Rebecca Belperio
Visual Art – Suzanne Healey
In class support team
Ben Drogemuller
Sandra Ramm
Charlie Farrell
Julie Binnington
Nova Dale
Ashleigh Haigh
Sunil Cook
Andi Benzija
Rachael Stathis
Intervention Team
Mel Carlin-Smith
Tina Portelli
Tanya Larsson
Administration
Front Office – Louisa Scopacasa / Skye Peucker
Finance Officer – Diana Frangos
Executive Assistant to the Principal – Helen Nicholaou
WHS Coordinator – Frank Massalsky
Grounds
Chris Herschell
Student, family and staff support
Wellbeing leader – Tina Napier
Assistant Principal Learning, Engagement and Teaching – Adriana Pilla
Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission – Marissa Redden
Principal – Lee Abela

Welcome back to 2025, I hope everyone had a wonderful break. We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead.
Good Beginnings program
At the start of each year, all classes are involved in the Good Beginnings program. This is an important opportunity for students and teachers to develop supportive relationships and to create a culture for meaningful learning.
Classes use this time to establish clear expectations around learning, develop routines and procedures, and focus on social skills development. Educational research clearly indicates that student learning is enhanced when expectations are high and environments are safe, supportive, and engaging. This "Good Beginning" supports student success and a love of learning as they begin a new year.
As part of the Good Beginnings program, classes explored lessons on:
- our Mercy values,
- the Key Capabilities, and
- our Positive Behaviour expectations.
PBIS at Our Lady Queen of Peace School
Our Lady Queen of Peace School is excited to participate in the Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative, a system led program designed to enhance school culture and support student success.
As part of the Good Beginnings program, our classes have been exploring our school wide PBIS expectations:
- Respectful,
- Resilient, and
- Responsible.
PBIS is a proactive process aimed at creating safer and more effective schools. It focuses on improving the school’s capacity to educate all students by implementing research based, school wide, and classroom behaviour support systems.
Rather than being a specific program, PBIS provides a framework that helps schools:
- develop,
- implement, and
- evaluate effective strategies for supporting positive behavior.
The PBIS approach encourages schools to design systems tailored to their specific needs, creating consistency in behaviour expectations across all settings. This means all students, staff, and faculty work from a common vocabulary, common goals, and consistent strategies. It is not a curriculum, but a team based process that fosters collaboration and continuous evaluation. PBIS creates a safe and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and students can learn without distractions from negative behaviours.
Not only does PBIS support better behaviour, but it also helps build a stronger sense of community. Students and staff work together to create a positive school atmosphere where everyone feels supported.
As we continue this journey, we look forward to seeing our students embody the qualities of being Respectful, Resilient, and Responsible, living out our school motto to be “shining lamps, giving light to all around us” – Catherine McAuley.
Sacramental program
On Thursday evening, we held our Sacramental Program Information Night. If your child is in Year 3-6, has been baptised in a Catholic Church, and you are interested in hearing more about our 2025 program, please let me know.
Marissa Redden
Assistant Principal
Religious Identity & Mission

Little Peacemakers transition program begins!
We are thrilled to officially welcome our newest group of Little Peacemakers as they embark on their journey at Our Lady Queen of Peace School.
This year, 20 children will take part in our carefully crafted transition program, designed to support them in feeling comfortable and confident as they prepare for school life.
Recognising the importance of a smooth transition, we have extended Little Peacemakers to run over two terms, allowing children even more time to build relationships, explore their new learning environment, and develop a sense of belonging within our school community. Through engaging activities, guided play, and structured learning experiences, children will gradually ease into the routines and expectations of school.
In preparation for their transition, I had the privilege of visiting these future Peacemakers at 14 different kindergartens and early learning centres across the western region. It was wonderful to meet each child in their familiar settings, fostering early connections and helping them feel at ease before they step into their new classrooms.
We look forward to seeing our Little Peacemakers grow in confidence over the coming weeks and cannot wait to officially welcome them as part of our school family!
Professional development: Playberry Laser
At Our Lady Queen of Peace School, we are committed to providing high quality literacy support for all students.
As part of this commitment, on Wednesday 22 January our staff participated in a professional development day with Christie-Lee Hansberry to learn about and implement the Playberry Laser program in our Years 3-6 classrooms.
The Playberry Laser program is a structured literacy program designed to support students in reading, spelling, and writing. Rooted in evidence based approaches, it incorporates multisensory techniques, explicit instruction, and targeted skill development to help students build confidence and fluency in literacy.
This professional development day allowed our educators to gain a deep understanding of the program. By integrating Playberry Laser into our classrooms, we aim to provide targeted, consistent, and effective literacy support, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
We are excited to see the impact of this program on student learning and look forward to working together to create a strong foundation in literacy for all!
Adriana Pilla
Assistant Principal
Learning, Engagement and Teaching

The 2025 student free days are confirmed and appear below.
With School Board approval, OSHC will be available on the student free days except for the Term 3 student free day. This is a day of staff formation and it is important that all staff are involved.
Please record these important student free day dates in your diary:
- Term 1: Friday 7 March 2025
- Term 2: Tuesday 10 June 2025
- Term 3: Friday 29 August 2025 (Staff Retreat Day - No OSHC available)
- Term 4: Friday 12 December 2025 (Last day of the school year)

Last week, RDS met their buddies from 3/4SM. The Year 3/4 students shared their thoughts about what buddies are and what buddies can do together.
We spoke about how we are always learning, no matter what age we are, young or old, as well as how we can learn from each other and teach each other new things, too.
The students then played a "getting to know you" game and found out some information about each other.
We look forward to fostering these special relationships in 2025, and cannot wait to share more with you.
Diem Savy
Reception teacher













In 1AM, we had such a fun, exciting start to Term 1. We have been learning all about our school Mercy values and our Key Capabilities, including what what it looks, sounds and feels like to show skills, such as being:
- responsible
- respectful, and
- resilient
Some of the highlights from the last two weeks include buddies, investigative learning, and our daily prayer times.
I look forward to all the incredible learning that is ahead of us this term.
Amy Mackay
Year 1 teacher





In 2JC, we have been engaging in the Good Beginnings program.
This has helped students learn about one another, build positive relationships and adapt to their new class routines.
We learned about the power of having a growth mindset when facing challenging tasks.
We enjoyed getting to know our buddy class, Year 5/6BC, and cannot wait to share many learning experiences together this year.
James Cummings
Year 2 teacher







During the first two weeks of school, students in 2KW have been learning and exploring all the activities in our Good Beginnings program.
We developed our understanding around our school’s Mercy values, explored the Key Capabilities and participated in discussions around developing a positive classroom environment.
One of the Mercy values we explored was "Service", where students created a voucher for a family member, gifting them with an "act of service". Some of these "acts of service" included:
- doing the dishes;
- making the beds;
- setting the table.
We hope our families enjoyed some help around the house!
Kim Whyte
Year 2 teacher




The Good Beginnings program is over, and we are now ready to launch into the curriculum full steam ahead.
We shared our hopes for the year ahead and looked at ways we can be together, enjoying our learning.
It is the final year in primary school for our Year 6 students, and we look forward to their leadership and share their excitement.
As part of our time getting to know each other, students created a “hoodie”. Everyone loves a hoodie! Students were involved in planning and decorating a cool hoodie, showing their favourite things, as well as reflecting on their experiences, interests and goals.
Sue Hackett
Year 5/6 teacher








Come and join the fun!
- Occasional Care
9am-12noon Tuesdays for children 3-5 years. - Playgroup
9am-10.30am Wednesdays for children 0-5 years.
For more information, please access the flyers regarding Playgroup and Occasional Care from the Useful Links section at the beginning of this newsletter.
More questions?
Contact - Andi Benzija
- Phone: 8279 8800
- Email: Andi.Benzija@olqp.catholic.edu.au

We are looking for new members to join the Parents and Friends Committee at Our Lady Queen of Peace School. This is a great opportunity to connect with other families, support our school community, and contribute to exciting initiatives.
Click on the flyer to access more information about what we do!
Our first meeting for the year will be held on:
📅 Monday 17 February 2025
⏰ 6.30pm
📍 Parents & Friends Room (also the second hand uniform shop)
The committee meets twice a term, Weeks 4 and 8, and we would love to welcome more parents and caregivers to be part of our team. Whether you can help regularly or just occasionally, your involvement makes a big difference.
If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out via email PnF@olqp.catholic.edu.au or simply join us on the night. We would love to see you there.
Upcoming Events
- Term 1
4 March: Shrove Tuesday - Parents and Friends to provide pancakes
19 March: Harmony Week special lunch - Term 2
6 May: Mothers Day stall
8 May: Sports Day BBQ
9 May: Showdown Donut Day
Corin Mitchell
Chairperson
Parents and Friends Committee

Opening times:
Fridays
- 8.40am – 9am
- 2.45pm – 3pm
The second hand uniform shop service, facilitated by a dedicated group of parents, supports the community to access quality and affordable second hand uniforms for their children.
Donations of quality second hand uniform items needed!
Donations are needed. If you have any quality items at home that no longer fit your child, please consider donating to our shop through the front office.
Proceeds raised from the sale of these donations go towards student centred projects and activities at our school.
Location:
Located in the P & F Room (near the girls' toilets, adjacent the basketball courts).
Call 8279 8800 if you require more information, or alternatively, you can email the P & F Committee using this email: PnF@olqp.catholic.edu.au.
P & F Committee

New families and permanent bookings:
All new family bookings and permanent bookings need to be made through the OSHC office.
Please contact Jo on 0417 840 700, or pop into either the OSHC office or front office for an information pack.
Jo Fahey
OSHC Director

GAP Football Training focuses on creating high energy training sessions that target player development in four key areas.
- 1 v 1
- Running with the ball
- First touch
- Striking the ball
Click on the image of the flyer to access more information.
Register by following this link: GAP Football Training Registration
Australian Sports Camps are running 3 day school sports camps for primary aged students in the school holidays.
It is a great opportunity for students to improve their skills or learn a new sport with friends.
Click on the flyer to access more information.
If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to get in contact:
Lachlan Milligan
Phone: 1300 914 368
Web: australiansportscamps.com.au
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