The last couple of weeks have been full of fantastic experiences at OLOR. From our boys winning SAPSASA Basketball to our Wakakirri performance last week, as well as our Science Week activities, our students have been part of many diverse learning opportunities and adventures. At OLOR we love giving our students the opportunity to experience learning in all of its facets, whether in class or out around the community.  

Our Year 5 & 6 boys and girls competed in SAPSASA Basketball recently, and they had a great time. The boys went undefeated all day and won the Division One championship, and the girls only lost one game all day, narrowly missing out on the final. The boys now have the opportunity to represent the Riverland later in the year in Adelaide against others schools from all around the state. All of our students represented the school in a positive way and showed great sportsmanship across the day.  

Our Wakakirri troupe had a very long day last Friday, which culminated in a great performance on stage at the Norwood Concert Hall. After the long trip down, costumes and make-up were applied and students had a chance to have a full dress rehearsal on stage throughout the afternoon. They then prepared themselves for the endpoint of months of practising and preparation, the actual performance. They all did a wonderful job and represented OLOR so well. Myself and the family members in the audience all enjoyed seeing them in the spotlights and the smiles on their faces afterwards made it all worthwhile! Their performance was moving and reminded us of what we can do to help everyone feel like they belong. We were praised for our minimalist storytelling and our public speaking as well. I would like to give a big thankyou to Miss De-Gregorio for her organisation, choreography, and persistence in getting them all prepared, and also to Mrs Schilling and Mrs Slagter for their support on the day. It was a wonderful occasion for our students and a great opportunity that I’m very pleased we were part of.     

To celebrate National Science Week we had a great session for each class about turtles. Our YEL team taught students about the diversity in our local turtle populations, and what we can do to protect them. Our local environment is home to many turtle species, and students learnt about what they can do to ensure that we keep the environment healthy and reduce the risk of predators for these wonderful creatures. We also enjoyed Mr Dunn’s class and their rocket making on Wednesday afternoon! 

We welcomed Musica Viva on Monday for the performance Lost Histories. This encompassed music, song and storytelling as we looked back at the history of Australia and the connections to land, water and family that we all have.  

Next week we look forward to Book Week. This is always a highlight of the year, where students learn about the best books of the last year, as well as get to dress up as their favourite book characters. We invite all families to join us Thursday morning for our parade, which as always, promises to be interesting, colourful and lots of fun. 

We are looking forward to the Riverland Schools Music Festival, where our choir get to perform the songs they have been practising all year as well. This is another great opportunity for them to share their talents and be part of something bigger in the community.  

As you can see, there is a lot going on at OLOR this term. These are all great experiences for students to be part of, and we are passionate that all students have the opportunities to find what they love and be able to celebrate this. That is what makes all the effort worthwhile!