The Year One students ready to share their animal habitat with all their visitors.
As part of Year 1's Science & Technology Unit this term 'Our Living World', the students have been researching and making models of animals and their habitats.
They have been creating an enclosure in pairs for their animal they have been researching.
The classroom was set up just like a zoo with entry doors, tickets, tour guides, animal ‘experts’, animal enclosures and a kiosk. Jayden Thornton, 6, (pictured) said, "I made a Leopard Gecko enclosure. It had fireflies and stars because it is a nocturnal animal. I liked seeing all the parents coming in to see our work."
"It was a great experience for all involved. The children really took ownership over their learning and were so enthused and engaged in the task right from the beginning. By having a 'real' purpose, it added another dimension to their learning and the results really exceeded our expectations,” said Andrew Baker, Year 1 Teacher.
The Year One Wildlife World, which was arranged in natural habitats from desert to polar regions, was open for a full day for parents and friends to visit.
Entry fee and any food available at the café was a gold coin. This money raised, $336, will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund, as decided by the students.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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29 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Today, Mr Calabria and Mr Cauchi settled their fun Wacky Wager, much to the delight of our students! Buckets of bright pink slime sealed the deal for 2026, creating a moment of pure joy for the students and teachers! It was definitely a day filled with faith, FUN, and learning at OLA. A huge thank you to Mr Calabria and Mr Cauchi for making our school not only an outstanding place to learn, but a place where memories are made- memories our students will carry with them forever!
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our talented Stage 3 Senior Dance Crew on their outstanding achievement at the Ryde Eisteddfod today, where they competed against 13 schools from across Sydney. The students were awarded an incredible 3rd place with a fantastic score of 91/100. After weeks of dedicated rehearsals and many lunch times spent practising, the girls took to the stage with confidence, energy and beautiful facial expressions, delivering a performance they should be incredibly proud of. What made us most proud, however, was the way they represented our school. They displayed exceptional sportsmanship throughout the day, enthusiastically cheering on and congratulating students from other schools. Their respect, kindness and encouragement reflected our school values beautifully. Congratulations to our Senior Dance Crew on this wonderful achievement. We are incredibly proud of you! A big thank you to Miss Hogan and Mrs Hodgess for your time and dedication to these students, and to all of our parents and teachers, Mrs Gow and Mr Calabria, who came to support and cheer us on!
Latest News More news
29 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Today, Mr Calabria and Mr Cauchi settled their fun Wacky Wager, much to the delight of our students! Buckets of bright pink slime sealed the deal for 2026, creating a moment of pure joy for the students and teachers! It was definitely a day filled with faith, FUN, and learning at OLA. A huge thank you to Mr Calabria and Mr Cauchi for making our school not only an outstanding place to learn, but a place where memories are made- memories our students will carry with them forever!
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our talented Stage 3 Senior Dance Crew on their outstanding achievement at the Ryde Eisteddfod today, where they competed against 13 schools from across Sydney. The students were awarded an incredible 3rd place with a fantastic score of 91/100. After weeks of dedicated rehearsals and many lunch times spent practising, the girls took to the stage with confidence, energy and beautiful facial expressions, delivering a performance they should be incredibly proud of. What made us most proud, however, was the way they represented our school. They displayed exceptional sportsmanship throughout the day, enthusiastically cheering on and congratulating students from other schools. Their respect, kindness and encouragement reflected our school values beautifully. Congratulations to our Senior Dance Crew on this wonderful achievement. We are incredibly proud of you! A big thank you to Miss Hogan and Mrs Hodgess for your time and dedication to these students, and to all of our parents and teachers, Mrs Gow and Mr Calabria, who came to support and cheer us on!
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
We can't wait to see you all next weekend at the OLA Family Fiesta!!! Don't forget - Wristband pre-sales are $35.00 each wristband for unlimited rides at the OLA Family Fiesta 2026 ($40.00 if purchased on the day). Presale orders before 5 pm on Friday, 31st July 2026 now via the link: https://forms.gle/1e8LNAWz2qvvtXne9 (Your details will be placed on the pre-sale list for you to collect your ordered wristbands on the day).
26 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our Outstanding Achievement and St Francis award recipients for Week 1!
26 Jul 2026
From Facebook
On Friday, Year 4 completed many practical activities to consider the changes that took place throughout the world during the Age of Exploration. Students searched the oval as explorers trying to find the Great Southern Land. They searched for a new tropical paradise (with their eyes closed!) using newly developed technologies like the astrolabe to help them find their way. This helped them to realise how hard it was for the explorers. They also compared the journeys of Captain James Cook and Captain Matthew Flinders. It was a big day full of excitement and games!
23 Jul 2026
From Facebook
* OLA Fiesta – Raffle Tickets – Now due to be returned Raffle ticket books need to be returned by this Friday, 24 July 2026. Any unsold books/tickets must also be returned, as they need to be accounted for by the Parish as part of their accountability for the NSW Raffle Rules. Payment for the tickets can also be made by BPoint using the link: https://www.bpoint.com.au/pay/olotangelsparish/?billercode=2059327 Families that return their Ticket Books by this Friday will go into the draw to win a $100 Wish Gift Card (max 1 entry per family). * OLA Fiesta- Volunteers With the Fiesta almost upon us, we would appreciate additional volunteers. If you are able to volunteer for an hour to assist on the day, could you please register your availability via https://forms.gle/BUdJaCuuUWg6f6U27 Your generosity is very much appreciated to help share the load so that everyone can enjoy the Fiesta and make it a successful day.
22 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Our Wacky Wager video!! And then there were 2 more buckets left over, so Mr Calabria was slimed even more!!
21 Jul 2026
From Facebook
The first Sunday of the school holidays called for a little friendly OLA footy rivalry! Mr Calabria and Mr Cauchi headed along to the Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles clash to cheer on their teams. Let's just say... Mr Cauchi walked away the happier of the two! Now all eyes are on tomorrow, when our wacky wager will be settled!
20 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Holiday time means extra reading time- the school holidays are the perfect chance for our OLA readers to make progress on the Premier’s Reading Challenge! There's not long to go until it closes. With a little extra time to unwind and get lost in a book, it’s a great opportunity to tick off a few more titles from your list. We love seeing these familiar faces soaking up quiet reading moments these holidays- proof that reading can happen anywhere, anytime. We hope these photos make you smile! At OLA, we 'READ TO SUCCEED'!
19 Jul 2026