Year Three visits Cockatoo Island

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.

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

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05 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Today, we gathered for a beautiful, belated liturgy, to honour our incredible teachers for last week’s World Teachers' Day. At OLA, our teachers are the puzzle pieces that make a difference- each one essential, unique, and making a lasting impact in the lives of our students. We loved celebrating them with awards written by the students themselves and a special keepsake featuring student fingerprints that was a touching reminder of the personal impact our teachers make every single day. Thank you to our amazing educators at OLA,- you are seen, valued, and deeply appreciated!

03 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations Alyssa! What an incredible achievement- Winner of The Voice! We absolutely loved having you visit our school. You inspired our students with your talent, passion and kindness. The entire OLA community is so proud of you and were cheering you on, every step of the way! Keep shining brightly- this is just the beginning!