24 - 2nd August, 2024 - Term 3, Week 3
Principal's News
Dear Families,
We have had a great week of learning, along with celebrating and acknowledging NAIDOC Day on Wednesday. With the theme of NAIDOC being “Keep the Fires Burning”, the whole school gathered around a fire on the oval for a meaningful liturgy, in which the students spoke about the importance of tradition and passing down the stories of our indigenous Australians to future generations. It was a lovely celebration followed by activities in the classroom.
This week we also celebrated the arrival of one of five Message Sticks that have been travelling across our Diocese in honour of our 150 years of education. Four of these Message Sticks have been carried from school to school to remind us of the inter-connectedness of all our school communities, from the Murray to the Sea. In Aboriginal culture, Message Sticks were passed between different clans and language groups to establish information and transmit messages. We were lucky enough to receive the Message Stick as we celebrated NAIDOC Day! It will now be passed on to St. Joseph’s Primary School in Red Cliffs.
Congratulations to our Prep students who clocked up 100 days of school this week! There was lots of excitement in the Prep room on Monday and plenty of fun happening as they celebrated their time at school. It is always amazing to see how much the Preps grow, both in their learning, and physically as well, in a short space of time. The Preps have approached the year so far with enthusiasm and a curiosity for learning, and showed us how resilient they can be while Miss Appledore was away. I know the students are all very happy to have her back with them, as we all are. Now that we are in August, the rest of the year will fly by!
As we begin to prepare for the next school year, we are firming up our numbers for Prep 2025. At this stage, we still have places available for new families. If you know of anyone who is thinking about OLSH for their child’s education, please encourage them to fill in the online enrolment or contact the school. Over the coming weeks, budgeting and planning will begin for staffing in 2025. If your family is planning to relocate next year, we ask that you let the school know as soon as possible. This will assist us to plan accordingly.
While August has so far been relatively quiet in terms of activities at OLSH, there are quite a few events on the horizon that will sneak up on us! Swimming for the junior unit students will be on the 19th of August, while our Father’s Day Breakfast will be held on 30th of August. In September we have our OLSH Athletics (hopefully the students will be inspired by the Olympics!) the Disco and Footy Colours Day! Please stay up to date by reading the newsletter, Seesaw and checking the dates on the calendar.
On Thursday of this week we had news that Fr. Matt had suffered a heart attack. He was flown to Melbourne, has been treated, and will now hopefully be on the mend! Please keep Fr. Matt in your thoughts and prayers. We hope to see him back with our Sunraysia schools and parishes soon!
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Narelle Gallagher,
Principal
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.
Sports News
Junior Swimming
Our Junior Unit Swimming Program will take place from Monday August 19th - Friday August 23rd 2024. This will take place at the Mildura Waves Aquatic and Leisure Centre on Deakin Ave. The children will travel to and from the venue by bus which will be driven by Mrs. Watson.
The times are below:
- Grade Preps - 12:30pm - 1:00pm
- Grade Ones - 1:00pm - 1:45pm
- Grade Twos - 1:45pm - 2:30pm
The children will need to bring along:
- Bathers
- Towel
- Pair of thongs/sandals to wear at the pool
- Pair of goggles
A reminder to complete the permission slip through PAM which will be available from next week.
OLSH Athletics Day
This day will go through some changes this year. We will be moving the day to the Mildura Little Athletics Track so that the children are familiar with a variety of athletic events. Date: Tuesday September 10th, 2024. We will require parent helpers on this day to ensure that the day runs smoothly. More details regarding the day will be sent home early next term.
Teaching & Learning
Starting next week, some students from every class will receive Tier 2 interventions. These interventions are based on the latest round of DIBLES testing and target students' immediate needs. The interventions last only 10-15 minutes and occur four times a week. Students are retested every three weeks to assess their growth and determine whether they need to remain in the program.
School TV
In this edition of SchoolTV - Friendship & Belonging
Learning how to make new friends and keep them involves a number of skills every young person needs to understand and develop. For some these skills will come very naturally, allowing them to easily move between different friendship groups, sharing their experiences and opening up to new people. For others, this can be much harder to navigate. Belonging to a group that is like-minded with similar interests is highly beneficial to a young person’s wellbeing. It gives them a sense of security helping them feel valued which in turn builds their confidence.
Positive friendships are an important part of the journey to adulthood. Adult carers can support their child or teenager by providing guidance in the many social and emotional skills required for a healthy relationship. This will help them to obtain, retain and maintain friendships. However, not all friendship are regarded as positive. Sometimes young people develop negative or toxic friendships. Therefore it is also important for them to learn how to identify, avoid or deal with such a friendship.
In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers can learn how to support their young person’s friendship so that they experience a sense of belonging.
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 Friendship & Belonging edition of SchoolTV
https://olshmerbein.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/friendship-belonging
Student of the Week
| Class: | Awarded to: | For: |
| Grade Prep: | Knox Arnold | his great work in our assembly practise this week! |
| Grade 1: | Isla McClelland | her outstanding work in Maths with understanding patterns. |
| Grade 2 : | Ivy Libchard | reading beautifully at our NAIDOC Liturgy and always participating in class discussion. |
| Grade 3 / 4 L: | Aysha Ellis-Stein | her excellent work ethis and for always willing to answer questions. |
| Grade 3 / 4 P: | Zoe Arnold | the wonderful assistance she offer her teachers throughout the day. |
| Grade 5: | Zali Breewel | using multiple strategies when solving maths problems and always checking her work. |
| Grade 6: | Lilliana Primarano | taking ownership of her learning by asking questions and actively contributing to discussions. |
Happy Birthday
We wish the following students a Happy Birthday in the coming week:
Ilario Mazza - 8th August - 7 yrs
Isabelle Hogg - 9th August - 7 yrs
Able Gregg - 11th August - 12 yrs
Prep News
We have been super busy in Prep this week.
On Monday we celebrated our 100th day of school. We completed lots of activities about the number 100, played games and made crowns and some very cool glasses. We finished the day off with party bags and some special treats from Mrs Gallagher. Please see some photos below from our day.
On Wednesday students spent the day learning about NAIDOC. Students learnt about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, the importance of fire and different symbols that are used in artworks. Please see some photos from the day below.
On Thursday we spoke about Homelessness and how some people in our community don't have what they need to live or the same things we are lucky to have. We spoke about how we have items we "need"to have and others are "wants" to have. (We need food but don't have to have toys, etc.) Our discussion then turned to how we can help people who don't have everything they need. Students came up with lots of things they could donate to these people. Next week as a school we will be collecting items to donate. These can be sent into the classroom any day and we will present them to MASP at assembly next week.
Well done to the Preps on their assembly performance today. They have worked very hard to learn their roles in under a week! Thank you to all the parents who came along to watch.
Show and Tell- Week 4’s topic is ‘Free Choice’.
Swimming- Junior swimming is coming up from the 19th-23rd of August. We will be traveling via bus to the Waves Pool to complete these lessons. More information to come.
100th Day of School
NAIDOC Activities
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Rebecca Appledore- rappledore@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 1 News
Grade 1's have been busy learning about and celebrating NAIDOC week this week. They have created some artwork around the theme of NAIDOC "keep the fire burning".
In Science this week, we have been focusing on materials and how they can change. Students used clay to make little characters, focusing on what they can do to change the shape of the clay (stretch, bend, fold).
Please refer to Seesaw for a message about Week 4. I will be away, however if you need to contact the teacher (Miss Bock) feel free to message her on my Seesaw account.
I look forward to seeing everyone when I return in Week 5!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Grace Laity- glaity@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 2 News
Another busy week has flown by, with NAIDOC celebrations the focal point of our learning.
Over the week, we read a book called Come Together by Isaiah Firebrace which contained some interesting information about First Nations culture, histories and celebrations. The students also participated respectfully in our NAIDOC Week Liturgy on Wednesday. Hopefully, the students have shared some of their learning with you at home!
Next Friday (9th August) the Grade Twos will be hosting Assembly. I will send speaking parts home tomorrow and the song has been sent via the SeeSaw App. You can also search 'Seven Continents Song' and it should come up.
Our Junior Unit Swimming Program will take place from Monday August 19th - Friday August 23rd 2024. This will take place at the Mildura Waves Aquatic and Leisure Centre on Deakin Ave. The children will travel to and from the venue by bus. The times are below:
Grade Preps - 12:30pm - 1:00pm
Grade Ones - 1:00pm - 1:45pm
Grade Twos - 1:45pm - 2:30pm
Lunchtimes for the junior classes during swimming week will be different to normal to fit into the schedule.
I will send more information about what students are required to bring for swimming closer to the date.
Homelessness Week Donations
* A reminder that donations such as blankets, cans of food and toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo etc.) can be brought in anytime and will be collected by our student leaders over the week. The donations will be presented to MASP representatives at Assembly on the 9th of August (Friday, Week 4).
Have a great weekend!
Lisa
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, via either the SeeSaw app or email:
Lisa Ryan - lryan@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 3 & 4 News
This week we had lots of fun participating in our Naidoc activities. We began the celebrations with a lovely liturgy then we moved to four different groups in our unit in which we rotated around four different tasks.
Everybody in 3/4 should be congratulated for the big improvement made for completing home reading each day. Thank you parents for supporting your child and as we say to our students- “The more you read, the more you know”!
Next week, 3/4P will have sport on Monday and Friday. Please wear sports uniforms on these days.
Reminders:
- our online cyber safety lessons will take place next Tuesday at 12pm
- we will be taking part in the Andy Griffiths book launch on Thursday from 10-11am
- donations for Homelessness Week are needed by Friday. Please see the poster for a list of items you can donate.
Julie and Adam
NAIDOC Celebrations
Grade 3/4 L working hard on the aeroplane. Thank you to the Grade 2 who helped.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
3/4 L: Adam Lawrence – alawrenc@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
3/4 P: Julie Phelan – jphelan2.3@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
3/4P (Friday's): Emma Garraway - ewood@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade Five News
This week students have immersed themselves in our Naidoc celebrations - reading, singing, researching and creating. The photo gallery has some images captured on Wednesday.
Following our learning about people experiencing homelessness, students are encouraged to bring a small donation of non perishable foods or toiletries or even a blanket or towel. All of the donations received at school will be collected and distributed to those in need.
Next week we will have our next Inform and Empower live workshop. This term the focus is on managing difficult situations while online and consent. A parent information sheet will be sent home after the session next Tuesday.
Please remind your child to read and practice their times tables after school each day. It really does make a difference!
Kind regards,
Cheryl-Anne
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Cheryl-Anne Courtney - ccourtney@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 6 News
On Wednesday, we celebrated NAIDOC Day with a liturgy followed by some activities on this theme. Grades 5 and 6 worked in mixed small groups to present information on various topics about the First Nations culture and history, to share with the group. They worked very well on this activity and created some interesting slides.
Please continue to encourage your child to read at home for 20 mins each weeknight and once on the weekend. This can be as soon as they get home, in bed before they go to sleep, or even on the way to and from school in the bus or car. Morning reading is there for the times that students are unable to read due to other commitments or events. It is not intended to be in place of home reading each day. Otherwise students will be making it up either at lunchtime, during sport or during their project time. Thank you for your support in this.
Please remember to support the Homelessness Drive. Your donations can be sent into your child's classroom and will be greatly appreciated.
Have a great weekend!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me by email and I will respond during office hours:
Tana Lawrence - tlawrence@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
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
8.30am | Supervision of students begin. Classrooms are remained closed. |
8.45am | Classrooms are opened for reading time. |
8.55am | Organisational bell (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
9.00am | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
11.00am | Recess bell. |
11.25am | Organisational bell (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
11.30am | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
1.30pm | Lunch bell. |
1.40pm | Students are to finish eating and go and play. |
2.20pm | Organisational bell rings (students go to the toilet, get a drink, be in line before music ends). |
2.25pm | Teachers collect students from their line and proceed into class. |
3.10pm | NSW bus bell. |
3.25pm | End of day bell rings. |
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.
