Busy but fun day.
Year 3, together with their teachers and five amazing parent helpers, travelled by bus and river cat to Cockatoo Island.
We split into groups and were given a tour of the island by our guides for the day. It was a fantastic opportunity to experience what life might have been like in the past, particularly for early convicts. Needless to say, we all came home with a new appreciation for life in the present and look forward to what the future brings.
Here are some of the highlights:
I loved the whole excursion. It was great to travel on public transport, especially the river cat. We got to see how convicts lived. It would have been a hard life. I’m glad that things have changed.
Mia
My favourite part of the Cockatoo Island excursion was walking through the dog leg tunnel. It was a brilliant experience to see how long, and old the tunnel was.Owen
This was my first time travelling by ferry. I loved it. If I was a convict, I would have found it very hard to live in one small room with 50 other convicts, sharing EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING!
Joel
I enjoyed the whole Cockatoo Island experience. It was my first time there. I got to see how convicts lived a long time ago and how much things have changed now.
Bella
The excursion was a great opportunity to experience the past. I also enjoyed travelling by ferry and bus. Our guide Sue helped us understand what life would have been like for the people living on Cockatoo Island at the time. She was so enthusiastic.
Juliana
I was lucky enough to be selected as a parent helper on the year 3 excursion to Cockatoo Island today and wanted to pass on a few comments I had about the day.
Parent
On the way.
The children were exceptionally well behaved at all times during the excursion with other passengers on both ferry trips commenting on how well behaved and courteous the children were. A couple of times a child or two were engaged in conversation with a member of the public and their responses were polite and sensible.
I was fortunate to be with 3W for the tour and their attitude towards the learning opportunity was amazing. At all times the children were engaged and attentive to the tour guide and their questions were well thought out and reasoned which is a magnificent reflection on the way they are being taught.
Please pass on my deepest thanks to the Year 3 teachers for this wonderful excursion. The children were a shining example of how to conduct themselves in public and a wonderful reflection on OLA.
Thank you once again for everything you and your staff do. We feel very blessed to have our children attend OLA.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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21 Aug 2026
From Facebook
The estimated arrival time for our Year 6 students is still 7:00 pm. They’re travelling well and are right on track! 😊
Latest News More news
21 Aug 2026
From Facebook
The estimated arrival time for our Year 6 students is still 7:00 pm. They’re travelling well and are right on track! 😊
20 Aug 2026
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20 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 6 students headed off this morning on their big adventure to Canberra, ready for two days of learning, exploring and making lifelong memories with their friends. They’re already buzzing with excitement as they dive into Australia’s history, government and national landmarks. We’re so proud of them and can’t wait to share updates. Stay tuned to follow their adventures!
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From Facebook
We’re looking forward to welcoming Sue Whiting, an Australian children’s author, to OLA this Friday for a special Book Week experience with our K-2 students. Sue will share her stories, writing process, and the inspiration behind her books, giving students a wonderful chance to learn from a real author and spark their own love of reading and storytelling. This will be a perfect way to build Book Week excitement across our Infants classes!
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From Facebook
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From Facebook
Recently we had 1 girls' team and 2 boys' teams participate in the Stage 3 Soccer Gala Day at Jamison Park, Penrith. It was a very successful day for all 3 teams, who all finished 2nd in their pool. All 3 teams played exceptional soccer and had lots of fun scoring awesome goals along the way. A very big thank you to the parents who volunteered as coaches- Mr McKee, Mr and Mrs Shnoudi, and Mr and Mrs Newman. Thank you also to the many parents who supported our teams during the day, and to Mr Cauchi and Mrs Boatfield for being there to support our teams!