Newsletter Term 2 Week 4, 2025

Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders: Guiding Our Children Towards the Future God Desires

On Monday evening, I had the privilege of attending a powerful professional learning session at the University of South Australia, hosted by John “The Rev” McMahon—an inspiring motivational speaker and founder of MotoV8ing Boys. I brought my 12-year-old son along, and together we sat among 270 parents and young people, listening to a story of transformation, resilience, and hope.

John’s journey—from the streets of Northern Ireland and Glasgow, where he was expelled from school and disengaged from life, to becoming a voice of encouragement for young people—is a testament to the power of change. His message was clear: while we are navigating a world increasingly shaped by technology and social media, we are not without hope. And while hope alone is not a strategy, it can be the spark that drives us to plan, act, and grow alongside our children.

This message resonated deeply with me, especially in light of the work we are doing through the Connected Self initiative and the Trauma Aware School Village (TASV) project. These programs are grounded in the belief that children thrive when they are supported by emotionally intelligent adults, trauma-informed environments, and strong community values.

At Our Lady of the Visitation School, our core values—Being Respectful, Being Connected, and Being a Learner—are more than just words. They are the foundation for shaping the kind of people we hope our children will become. As I reflected on these values during the session, I realised that our goal is not simply to guide children in what to do, but to nurture who they are becoming. We are raising future leaders—leaders of compassion, integrity, and purpose.

John spoke about the importance of attitude, thoughts, words, actions, and behaviours. He reminded us that our children’s journey will be shaped by their drive, determination, doubts, fears, and dreams. As parents and educators, our role is not to rescue them from every challenge, but to guide them through it. We must empower them to take ownership of their behaviour, to stand up when needed, and—perhaps more importantly—to know when to walk away.

This is where the partnership between home and school becomes vital. The work you do at home—through conversations, boundaries, encouragement, and love—is pivotal to your child’s success. Together, we can build a community where children feel competent, connected, and capable of making a difference in the world around them.

Let us continue to collaborate, communicate, and support one another as we raise children who are not only prepared for the future but are equipped to shape it. Let us raise leaders who reflect the values of our faith and the vision God has for them.

Thank you for the incredible work you do every day. Your influence matters more than you know.

Warm regards,
Sean

Celebrating Our Community and Catholic Identity

It has been a vibrant and faith-filled few weeks at our school, full of opportunities to come together as a community and celebrate who we are.

Mother’s Day

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our Mother’s Day Stall a joyful success! It was a beautiful occasion for our students to show love and appreciation for the special women in their lives. We are especially grateful to our School Leaders and House Leaders who offered their time, energy, and smiles to serve our community so generously. Your leadership is a gift to us all!

Our reception students hosted a truly special Mother’s Day Liturgy that drew a huge crowd of families and friends. With confidence and joy, our youngest students reminded us all of the incredible gifts that the women in our lives bring each day—love, strength, care, and endless support.

The liturgy was a moving tribute, and it was followed by a warm and welcoming morning tea, which was gratefully received and enjoyed by many.

A heartfelt thank you to all the amazing women in our lives who continue to love us unconditionally. Your presence is a blessing, and your love is felt deeply in our school community.

Really… Mother’s Day should be every day!

Welcome Pope Leo XIV

We acknowledge the election of Pope Leo XIV, as he begins his journey as the spiritual leader of our Catholic Church. We hold him in prayer as he steps forward with faith, wisdom, and courage:

Loving God,
Bless Pope Leo XIV as he leads Your Church with a heart full of love and truth. Guide him to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, bringing peace and hope to the world. Amen.

Welcome Father Josy

We are delighted to welcome Father Josy to our school and parish community. Father Josy has been officially assigned to serve both our school and church, and we are truly blessed to have him with us.

If you have the pleasure of meeting Father Josy, please take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself. He is a warm, friendly, and approachable person—someone who already feels like part of our extended school family.

We ask God to bless Father Josy as he settles into our community and begins this new chapter in his ministry. May he feel supported and surrounded by faith, friendship, and joy.

Loving God,
Thank You for sending Father Josy to our community. Bless him as he shares Your love and guides us in faith. May his time with us be joyful and grace filled. Amen.

Catholic Education Week

During Catholic Education Week, we reflected on what makes our school truly special. Rooted in our Catholic tradition, we live out the Dominican motto of Veritas – Truth, seeking to grow in knowledge, faith, and love. At the heart of our learning community are our school values of Respecting, Caring, and Learning. These are more than just words – they guide our actions every day, helping us to become people of compassion, justice, and faith.

School Leaders – Lotus and Diego

Last Friday, two of our School Leaders, Lotus and Diego, attended the Stories of Hope Conference with Mrs Caldinez. The event explored the foundations of our faith and the charism of the Dominican tradition. Lotus and Diego were outstanding ambassadors for our school, participating with enthusiasm and representing our community with pride and grace. They shared their insights, from Sr. Maureen (a Dominican nun), at our recent whole school assembly, inspiring us all with what they learned.

Thank you

As always, we thank our families for walking this journey with us. Together, we continue to grow in faith, hope, and love inspired by our school values: Respecting, Caring and Learning.

Pupil Free Days

A reminder that Friday 6th June is a Pupil Free Day. We also would like to advise that two additional pupil free days have been approved and will be taking place on the first Monday of Term 3 and Term 4. 

OSHC will be available on all three Pupil Free Days. 

School Hats

Please note that from Monday 26th May until Monday 1st September, hats will be optional for all students.

New School Jumpers

Campus Schoolwear have advised that the new school jumpers will be available from next week.  Orders can be made via our school website or can be purchased directly from Campus Schoolwear.  If you would like to bring your child/children into the office we have some available for trying on. 

School & Preschool Fees 2025

Please be advised that current School and Preschool Fee Statements have been uploaded to the Community Portal.  Please take the time to check your statement and ensure payments will repay any outstanding balance in the required time frame outlined in the 2025 School Fee Schedule.  All parents/caregivers are reminded that it is a contractual obligation that forms part of your enrolment at the school that fees are paid within the terms of our fees policy. 

Need to set up a payment plan?

A reminder to all families that school and preschool fees were due 31 March 2025 unless you have an existing payment arrangement.  Minimum quarterly fee balances are expected by week 6 of each term, with payment in full due 21 November 2025.  If you have not already made your first instalment or entered a regular payment arrangement with us this year to pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or termly, please contact our Finance Officer, Belinda to discuss your payment option as soon as possible.

Are you eligible for School Card in 2025?

The School Card Scheme is administered by the State Government and assists families who are low income, experiencing hardship, self-employed or had a change of circumstances. 

The tables below list the income limits for applications lodged in 2025 – based on your family's gross income in 2023/2024.

To qualify for School Card, your family's gross income must be below a certain limit.  The limit depends on how many dependent children you have.

You will need to provide proof of income – such as pay slips or Centrelink information.

Eligibility income limits for school card:

No of dependent children   Combined gross family        Gross weekly school card
                                               income for 2023/2024           income limit|
                                               financial year

1 child                                        $74,189                                $1,426
2 children                                   $75,514                                $1,452
3 children                                   $76,839                                $1,478
4 children                                   $78,164                                $1,504
5 children                                   $79,489                                $1,530
Each additional child                  $1,325                                  $26

Families who are eligible for School Card or believe they may be eligible are asked to apply online by using the following link:

https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-and-learning/financial-help-scholarships-and-grants/school-card-scheme

Please note, an application must be completed each year and apply to school fees only.

OSHC Fees

Families accessing our OSHC service are reminded that OSHC fees need to be paid promptly after accounts are sent home each week.  OSHC fees are billed on a separate system, with payment details and options listed on the weekly distributed invoice/statements.  Payments made via BPay have the same Biller Code of 297788, however, the BPay Reference Number is different to school fee accounts and must be used so payments are allocated to the correct account.  Payments made via EFT must include either your BPay reference number, or your “child’s name” and “OSHC” as a reference in the payment description.

If you have any questions regarding school or preschool fees, school card, or to set up a payment plan, please contact the finance office on 8440 9703 or email accounts@olv.catholic.edu.au

Year 5 and 6 Excursion to the Adelaide Central Market 

As part of our HASS learning this term, our Year 5 and 6 students took part in a rich and engaging excursion to the Adelaide Central Market. We travelled by train and tram from school, which added to the excitement and provided a real-world public transport experience.

At the Market, students explored the vibrant and diverse range of stalls, interacting with stallholders and gathering information to help develop their own small business ideas for our upcoming HASS Stall Day at school. This hands-on experience supported our study of economics and entrepreneurship, with students asking questions about products, pricing, sustainability, and customer engagement, directly aligned with the Market’s educational focus on starting and running a market stall.

Students considered key elements of business planning, such as identifying a unique product idea, analysing competition, understanding costs, setting prices, and creating promotional materials. They also discussed ethical and sustainable practices, helping to shape well-rounded and thoughtful business plans.

The excursion was an inspiring and practical way to connect classroom learning with the real world, sparking creativity and preparing students for their own exciting enterprise event later this term.