As the school year commences, the parish welcomed students, teachers, family and friends from the three Parish Primary Schools to celebrate the start of the school year at a special Mass in one of our churches.

At each Mass the staff were commissioned and the Year 6 leaders were presented with their leadership badges.

L-R: Our Lady’s Primary School; Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary School; Our Holy Redeemer Primary School

Our Holy Redeemer Primary School

The Year 5 & 6 students were blessed with very fine weather for the four-day camp to Coonawarra Farm Resort.  The students engaged in a wide range of activities including canoeing, raft building, horse-riding, freefalling from a giant swing, zip-lining across a lake, conquering high ropes courses, and many more activities.  Although some students felt slightly out of their comfort zone, they were supported and encouraged by their peers in equal measure.  The staff witnessed many of the students taking important steps in their personal growth during the week.

The parents of the students should be proud of the way they represented our school.  One of the horse-riding instructors was overhead saying, “They truly are a polite and wonderful bunch of kids.  Don’t see that everyday!’

By Nick Byrne, Deputy Principal, OHR Primary School