19 - 21st June, 2024 - Term 2, Week 10

Principal's News

Dear Families,

It has been a cold week and I think we are all counting down to the holidays! An eleven-week term is a long one for everybody (students, parents and teachers!) but we have almost made it to the end. I will be on leave next week but wish all of you a restful break when it comes and look forward to seeing you all in Week Two of next term. As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, Adam Lawrence will be your first point of contact for any queries while I am away. Hopefully the last week of term will be a smooth one for everyone!

Last Friday night OLSH held our Bingo Evening, which was a great success and lots of fun for those who came along! The Multipurpose Room was packed with keen Bingo players and those who won a prize went home especially happy! Claire Littore and Dan Hensgen were the lucky winners of the trailer-load of firewood, which I’m sure will come in very handy! A big thank you goes to all the businesses and individuals who donated prizes for the night, and to the School Advisory Council members who organised and helped on the night, particularly Thel O’Shea for his Bingo calling! Thanks also go to our staff, who spent lots of time decorating the room. We made a profit of around $1500 on the night, which will benefit the students. A great night was had by all!

On Wednesday, we were visited by Pasi Sahlberg and Dave Runge, who are leading change in our Diocese based on the principle of establishing a system of high performing Catholic schools. They were accompanied by Tom Sexton, the Director of Catholic Education in our Ballarat Diocese. Pasi and Dave were keen to find out about OLSH, our context and what the students most liked about going to school here. We also discussed the challenges facing schools at present. A small group of students were able to offer some interesting insights into their learning and proudly showed our visitors around the school, which Pasi and Dave thought was beautiful! The work with Pasi and Dave will continue over the next year.

Earlier in the year we informed families that a new polar fleece zip up jacket was going to be available as a uniform item this year. We were hoping that this would be in stock at Lowes by now but have been informed that it will be late June or early July before it arrives. If you are interested in purchasing a jacket (it does not replace the windcheater) it might be worth popping into Lowes during the break to see if they have arrived.

Parent/Teacher interviews will be held in the second week of Term Three, on July 22^nd and 23^rd. These meetings are a fantastic opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher about their progress and to discuss the student reports, which will go home next week. We strongly encourage parents to make a time to meet. Bookings are available on PAM. Further on in the newsletter is some information to help families understand the importance of good attendance at school. We all know that illness plays a part in days off and cannot be helped, but as you can see, consistent absences add up very quickly into weeks of missed learning.  I encourage you to check your child's attendance on their report to see how they are tracking, and to make improvements in their attendance if necessary.

Next Friday, school finishes for the term at the earlier time of 2.30pm. We ask that any students on the New South Wales bus are collected from school on this day, as the bus does not change its timetable to suit the early finish. The Victorian school bus will still collect students at the earlier time of 2.30pm.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Narelle Gallagher

Links:

Enrolments at OLSH:

OLSH Calendar:

Religious Education News

• Sacrament of First Holy Communion (Grade 4 & Above)
• Parent Information Meeting: Wednesday August 28th at 7pm at Sacred Heart Church
• First Communion Masses: Friday 25th, Saturday 26th & Sunday  27th October 2024
• Sacrament of First Reconciliation (Grade 2 & Above)
• Parent Information Meeting: Wednesday October 16th at 7pm at Sacred Heart Church 
• Sacrament Masses: Wednesday 27th November 2024 at 6 or 7pm at Sacred Heart Church

150th Anniversary of the Diocese of Ballarat: In preparation of the Diocesan Assembly in November 2024 there will be formation sessions held around the diocese with a focus on leadership and governance.

If you are interested in participating in the formation sessions, which will be run by Fr. Justin Driscoll, please contact the parish office. 

Refugee Week: is this week and the theme is 'Finding Freedom' with a focus on family. Below is a prayer for Refugee Week.

Lord, no one is a stranger to you and no  one is ever far from your care.

In your kindness watch over refugees and asylum seekers, those separated from loved ones, those who are lost, and those who have been exiled from their homes.

Bring them safely to the place where they long to be, and help us always to show your kindness to strangers and those in need. 

St. Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal: will be held this weekend: June 22nd & 23rd. Donations are welcomed to help many in Sunraysia experiencing hardship and poverty. Please contact the parish office to make donations of money, clothing etc.  

SSG & Parent Teacher Interviews

Bookings are open on SIMON  Everywhere now.  Your child will be in either the SSG or P/T Meetings, if you have any questions please call the office.

• Parent Teacher Meetings are taking place on the 22nd & 23rd July. 
• SSG Meetings are taking place on the 29th July & 1st August.

Student Reports

These will be sent out electronically on Friday, 28th June.  

SchoolTV

In this edition of SchoolTV - RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Respectful Relationships edition of SchoolTV
https://olshmerbein.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

Student of the Week

Happy Birthday

We wish the following students a Happy Birthday in the coming week:

•                Izobel Matulic - 11 yrs - 24th June
•                Hamish Patterson - 6 years - 29th June
•                Anastasia Cory - 8 years - 30th June

Prep News

It's been another busy week in Prep. On the home stretch now and the holiday count down has begun. One week to go! 

Week 11: I will be in Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 

Week 11: Show and Tell - Free Choice

On Monday we will be having our STEM day. Students will be doing some construction to make a bird house. We are still looking for some more boxes or containers. If you have any please bring them in on Monday. 

Next week the Prep students will be bringing home some extra readers to read over the holidays. These won't be their decodable readers that they are used to having, but some other texts suited to their reading level. They will also be sent home with the Art Folio full of their Term Two work. Please empty this and return back to school when you can. If we don't yet have your child's Art Folio back at school from Term One can you please return ASAP. 

Enjoy the weekend! 

Breanna Meyer 

Grade 1 News

We are almost at the end of the term! This week has felt like a very busy week and students have enjoyed some exciting activities. On Wednesday we were lucky enough to walk to the Merbein Historical Centre where the students learnt about the history of our school and also the town of Merbein. We also had our STEM day on Thursday where we joined the Grade 2's to create parks with natural and man-made materials. It was great to see students work so well with each other.

Literacy- We have focused on procedure writing; students gave me step by step instructions on how to make a jam sandwich! There were lots of laughs.

Mathematics- 2D shapes have been the focus this week, identifying edges and sides of a shape.

Grade 2 News

We have had a very busy and fun week this week! The students really enjoyed our visit to the Merbein Historical Society. A big thanks must go to Bernadette Wells who showed us around the centre along with three helpers. Bernadette was very impressed by how knowledgeable the students were about Merbein's history and also by how engaged they were. Bernadette also kindly gave each student a bookmark which has the opening times of the centre on it. When we got back to school, the students completed some writing about what they learnt and the artefacts they found interesting. 

Yesterday the Grade Ones and Twos had their STEM Day. The task was to create a 3D model of a park. The park needed to include ten natural or living objects, ten constructed elements and show three ways that the environment was being protected. The students had to work cooperatively to design the park on paper and then construct it. They all did an amzing job! 

Today we began watching Nim's Island. We will continue to watch it throughout next week in short sections and complete some writing tasks related to the text. Students are welcome to bring in a pillow to relax on while the movie is on. 

Well done to all of the students who are reading regularly at home. I will be giving out stickers on Thursdays for students who have three or more signatures from a parent in their diaries.  

Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Grade 3 & 4 News

Only one week to go until the end of term! Where did that time go?

This week in Grade 3/4P we have been working hard on our ‘sentence expansions’ and trying to incorporate these into our writing. In History we looked at convict LOVE TOKENS and attempted to make our own LOVE TOKENS with our own special message.

In Grade 3/4L, we have been working on chapter summaries for 'The BFG', using compound sentences, conducting science experiments, checking SeeSaw, and learning to write a scientific procedure.

Now that winter is well and truly here, could you please ensure that your child’s track pants and jumpers are clearly named as there seems to be many unclaimed clothing items in the lost property box. Thanks.

Next week we will have our STEM activity. This will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Our focus will be bridge building. Students do not need to bring in anything.

Also next week, both Grades will be watching a movie to finish off another great term of learning. Both classes will watch their movies on Thursday. Students may bring along a snuggly blanket, pillow and snacks if they wish.

Julie and Adam

Congratulations to Frankie, Summer and Zoe from Grade 3/4P who received their Pen Licence this week!  Well done!

Congratulations to Ariana and Evelyn from Grade 3/4L who received their Pen Licence this week! 

Grade 5 News

It's been a busy week in Grade 5 this week as we've caught up on some of last week's work and prepared our assembly item for this morning. Thankyou to the parents who were able to attend. The students love being able to share their learning with you. Hopefully you noticed the display of photos of students with their 3D projects on the MPR wall. I will post these photos on Seesaw today. 

Next week is STEM week, something the students are very excited about. The challenge is to design a quake-resistent building. Students will work in groups to learn more about the problem and come up with different solutions before building a prototype of their building. Donations of recyclable materials such as empty plastic bottles, would be appreciated. 

Students are encouraged to bring their diary and water bottle to school each day. This week we only had one day with 100% of diaries at school. Let's end the term with a big push to read each night and bring diaries to school each day.

Cheryl-Anne 

Grade 6 News

• The class is continuing to put in a fantastic effort with their home reading and homework. Please remember, the homework so far has been about creating a routine so that it naturally will flow on as a part of their afternoon routine from the start of next term. More about homework and the expectations for it will be communicated next term. There will be no homework next week.
• Next Tuesday we have the excursion to St Joseph's College. We will be going by bus at the start of the day, 9.00am, so please make sure that your child is at school promptly. The children need to bring their snack however a BBQ lunch will be provided, they are welcome to bring their own though. They will also need to bring a refillable water bottle. The children need to wear warm casual clothes suitable for physical education activities. Please remember to do the consent form if you haven't already done so.
• On Wednesday, we will be having our STEM day. If you have any cardboard boxes that you can spare, could you please send them in to help with our creating on this day.
• Next Friday is our assembly, so if you are able to come along, we look forward to seeing you.
• Please remember to join Seesaw with the code that was sent home. If you require another one, please let me know.
• As you can see, next week will be a busy one, but we'll be rewarded with a two week break afterwards. Have a great weekend! 

Mildura Basketball

General News

School Advisory Council Members:

Thel O’Shea, Hannah Mills, Grant Finlayson, Courtney Portaro, Amy Cupper, Sandra Hammet, Lana Borchard, Adam Lawrence (Staff Rep) & Narelle Gallagher (Principal). 

Change of details:

Please contact the office if you have had a change of details. Phone: 50252258 or Email: admin@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au

Bell Times

SIMON Everywhere App

This can be downloaded from either the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.  The app has been updated earlier this year and an email was sent out to parents.  If you are having issues with logging in, can you please contact Mia in the office. 

Student Medical Profile

Medical Profile: Please make sure that the school has been notified of any changes that have been made to your child’s Medical Profile on PAM and to also include this on the pink Parental Authority and Consent Form each year. 

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT TO MAKE OLSH AWARE OF ANY CHANGES.

Parent Notified Absence

If your child is unwell and will be absent from school, you are able to complete a Parent Notified Absence (PNA) on the SIMON Everywhere App or Parent Access Module (PAM) which will automatically notify the teacher and a text message will not be sent.

Newsletters

These are distributed every Friday on SIMON Everywhere and the OLSH Website. Please contact us if at any time you have any queries or require any further explanation about events, dates etc. Any items for the newsletter are asked to be handed in at the office by 9.00am on Friday.

Attendance & Sign in

A reminder to parents that the school needs to be notified of a student absence by 10 am on the day.  This can be done by calling the school office or by using SIMON Everywhere or sending an email to admin@olsmerbein.catholic.edu.au.

Second Hand Uniform

Please contact the school if you require any second hand uniform.