2 - 7th February, 2025 - Term 1, Week 2

Principal's News

Dear Families,

Yesterday our school community gathered in the church to celebrate the beginning of the school year. It was great to see some families joining us for mass and for the presentation of badges to our School Leaders and Student Leaders.  I know that the students chosen by their peers will do a great job of representing their fellow students. Our Prep students also experienced their first school mass and took this experience in their stride! We look forward to a great year of learning together!

We have had two cases of Slapped Cheek at school in the first two weeks of term, as well as a covid case and two case of Whooping Cough! Please be vigilant if your child is feeling unwell. Slapped Cheek is not contagious once a rash appears on the face or body, and students can attend school if feeling well enough, but this could be preceded by a fever which is when the condition can be spread. Whooping Cough must be treated by a five-day course of antibiotics before students can return to school. Covid still requires five days away from school settings, as it affects everyone differently and we cannot afford it to spread through the school to students or staff. We greatly appreciate your cooperation when dealing with all illnesses.

Today our class information pages will go online, bringing you handy information about your child’s classroom this year. We would really appreciate it if all families could take the time to read through the slides, as these may answer some questions that you might have about particular routines and structures in the classroom, as well as introducing you to your child’s teacher! If you have any other questions that you would like answered, please feel free to send them to your teacher via Seesaw and they will be answered there. You can also contact your child’s teacher anytime. The link to the slides is below but has also been sent out today via a SMS.

https://sites.google.com/olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au/2025informationsession/home?authuser=0

Bookings are now open for Parent/Teacher Interviews on Monday, February 17^th and Tuesday, February 18^th. These interviews take place after school and are in 10-minute timeslots. Being early in the year, these meetings are a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher in person and to share anything you feel is important about your child. The teacher will also let you know how the year has started and what they have observed about your child so far. Please jump into the PAM portal and make a booking as soon as possible.

Last week on the newsletter I informed families of the pupil-free dates for 2025. Since then, another date has been added by Catholic Education Ballarat, on Tuesday May 27^th. This date has been set aside for our staff to be informed about the new strategic plan being implemented by DOBCEL (Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited) over the next year, which aims to build high-performing schools across our diocese. You will notice that this is the week after one of our other pupil-free dates on the May 19th. Obviously, we would prefer it if these dates were more spaced out and appreciate the hassles of childcare, but all Catholic Schools in Sunraysia will be participating in the professional development on this day. We will remind you of all pupil-free dates as the term goes on.

It has been a warm week, and even the students have been more than happy to stay indoors for some of their lunch breaks! With February traditionally one of our hottest months, it’s important that students have their drink bottles and hats with them each day to stay hydrated and sun smart. Just a reminder that if students do not have a hat at school, they must remain under the shelter shed during recess and lunch.

I hope all families have a great weekend!

Yours sincerely,

Narelle Gallagher

Beginning of School Year Mass

Links:

Enrolments at OLSH:

OLSH Calendar:

Religious Education News

Ash Wednesday: will be held on Wednesday March 5th. An Ash Wednesday Liturgy will be held on the day. This will take place in the Church at 12:30pm. All families and parishioners are welcome to attend. 

Ash Wednesday is a holy day that marks the start of the season of Lent for the majority of the world’s Christians. Lent is a 40-day period that represents the Temptation of Christ, and Christians honour it by fasting, praying and taking part in daily devotional activity. Lots of people, including non-Christians, will choose to give up a bad habit or someting they love, like a treat, for the period of Lent in much the same way as many people choose to set resolutions for the New Year.

Many Christians will go to church on Ash Wednesday and have the sign of the cross marked in ash on their foreheads. It is the day on which most people begin their Lenten observances. Ash Wednesday means a lot to people who follow the Christian faith, as it is traditionally seen as a day of repentance. 

Sacramental Program: Those families wishing to participate in the Sacrament Program need to contact the Parish Office for more details.

Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 3 & Above)

• Parent Information Session - Wednesday April 2nd.
• Celebration of the Sacrament - Friday 30th & Saturday 31st May & Sunday June 1st.

Sacrament of Holy Communion (Year 4 & Above)

• Parent Information Session - Wednesday April 2nd.
• Celebration of the Sacrament - Friday 20th & Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd June.

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Year 2 & Above)

• Parent Information Session - Wednesday October 15th
• Celebration of Sacrament - Wednesday November 26th

School Photos

Parents are now able to order photos using the MSPOnline system.  Please refer to the flyer below to register and order your child/rens photos or go to the following website: https://olotshsmerbein-vic.msp.photos

Buddy envelopes and Student Leader envelopes will arrive soon.  If you require one of these, can you please email admin@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au.

SSG & Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher and SSG interviews are taking place over the next couple of weeks.  Parents are able to log on to SIMON Everywhere and make a booking.

• SSG Meetings are taking place on the 10th & 13th February.
• Parent Teacher Meetings are taking place on the 17th & 18th February.
  

Please note: If parents have attended an SSG meeting you will not be required to attend a Parent Teacher Interview.

Swimming Program - Grades 3 to 6

Bookclub

Book Club has been sent home with your child/ren this afternoon. It is due back Friday the 14th of February with orders closing at 9:00 AM that morning. Orders are to be completed on-line through the scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app. The school does not accept cash payments. If you are new to Book Club, there are instructions at the back of the catalogue to assist you.

Reminder: Register for the new CDFpay mobile app today

The new CDFpay mobile app and website is now available for online canteen ordering.

If you haven’t already, please register for a new CDFpay account today:

1. Download the CDFpay mobile app on the Apple or Google store, then click ‘Sign up now’.
   No app? Register here

Important:

• You will not be able to use your existing CDFpay credentials to log in to the new CDFpay mobile app. You will need to follow these steps to create a new CDFpay account (you can use the same email address if desired).
• Register for a new CDFpay account before the start of Term 1 2025 and we will transfer any remaining balance on your account before the end of March 2025.

1. Enter and confirm your email address, then click ‘Sign up’.
2. Check your email inbox and follow the prompts to complete your account registration (check junk/spam if lost).

OLSH Wellbeing Dog

 Indi is Back! 

Indi, our wonderful OLSH Wellbeing Dog, returned to school last Monday and is already feeling the love from our students! 

All students have been interactacting well with Indi while she has been at school and have begun to take responsibility once again for keeping her company during breaks. Indi has been introduced to the Prep class and I think they are in love with her already!

 Action Required: If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete this form so we can better understand how your child feels about dogs.

Thank you for your support!  

Happy Birthday

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

• Dallas East - 13th February - 11 years

Prep News

Information Session (Online)- This can be viewed at any time using the link below. Please remember to ask any questions on Seesaw or via email.

https://sites.google.com/olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au/2025informationsession/home?authuser=0

Parent/Teacher Interviews- These are coming up on the 17th and 18th of February. Please make a time to come and see your child’s teacher. You will need to book this on PAM/SIMON. 

Art smocks- Students will need an art smock at school.

Buddy Assembly- On Friday the 14th of February the Preps, along with their buddies, will be presenting at assembly. All parents are welcome to come along at 9am.

Next Prep Rest Day- Wednesday 12th February. Students do not come to school.

Reading- Please make sure you are listening to/reading each night.

History- We will be looking at photos of when students were babies and photos of student’s families. Please make sure you have supplied a photo by Monday the 10th Feb. Thanks!

This week we started reading and fine motor groups. Students have enjoyed playing games and working with different peers in their groups.

Week Two Photos

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Grade 1 News

Science- In Science we have been learning about the sun and how it changes positions in the sky during the day. We have also looked at natural and man-made features.

Writing- Students have been identifying vowels in words this week. They have also changed fragments into sentences.

Maths- We have been focusing on place value this week, identifying the amount of tens and ones in each number. Students have enjoyed hands on activities and using MAB blocks.

Seesaw- Thank you to those parents who have already signed up to SeeSaw. This is an easy way for us to show you what is happening in the classroom each day and to share any information. If you need a new note with set-up information, please let me know.

Reading & Spelling- Students have started bringing home readers and spelling practise. Please make sure you are listening to/reading each night & completing spelling homework at least 3 nights per week.

Grade 2 News

 Hi Everyone, 

The Grade Twos have worked really well this week, especially considering the hot weather and first full five days of learning. We have been focusing on practising good work habits such as staying on task, managing distractions, listening behaviours and strategies to use when the work is tricky.

Literacy

This week in Literacy we have been revising concepts such as nouns, plurals and conjunctions. We have been identifying sentences and fragments and adding more details to our sentences to make them more descriptive. 

Mathematics

This week we have been learning about three-digit place value and counting forwards and backwards 'off the decade'. For example: 3, 13, 23, 33, 43 etc. We have also begun using the Studyladder program and Mathematics to extend our learning. 

History

This term we are focusing on how people use artefacts to learn about the past and how people used to live. 

Science

This term we are completing a Biological Science unit on how living things grow and change. 

Reminders:

*SSG meetings are being held on the 10th and 13th of February

*PT Interviews are being held on the 17th and 18th of February

Week 3 Class News: Zali, Jordan, Oliver, Ledger

 Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Grade 3 News

This week, we have made an excellent start on all curriculum areas. In Literacy we are writing extended sentences based on the text 'Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge'. We have revised common and proper nouns and -ti words. 

In Maths we are using the 'greater than' and 'less than' symbols to compare numbers and we are learning to write the names of numbers to twenty and -ty numbers. There is a task in students' homework books to help with this. 

Our Religion topic for Term 1 is Growth, and we have discussed the different ways we can demonstrate growth. In our prayer lesson, we explored the Gospel reading about Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus at the temple.

Students are encouraged to bring thier reading diaries back to school each day (even if they haven't read) so I can check their reading and help them choose another book.

Have a lovely weekend!

Cheryl-Anne 

Grade 4 News

I hope everyone will be able to access the Parent Information Slides that were made available to you today. If you have any questions, please do not hesistate to contact me. 

This week we celebrated the beginning of a new school year with our school Mass. At this Mass, children who were voted to be class representatives on the Student Representative Committee (SRC) were presented with their badges. Congratulations to Savannah B and  Esther who were chosen in the Grade Four classroom!

We have started our Humanities lessons this term with Geography. Students are becoming familiar with the States and Territories of Australia and their significant geographical features. We kick started this unit off with an activity where students had to draw the outline of Australia from memory. There were some very interesting interpretations of our country indeed!

This week, we created a Grade Four Prayer Cloth which we are all very poud of. We will use this cloth for prayerful and meditative times. Please see the pic below.

A reminder that SSG meetings will be held next Monday and Thursday for those involved. The following Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th is when Parent Teacher meetings will be held. 

Please bring in an art smock/oversized shirt for art/craft purposes and any egg cartons if you have any.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Julie Phelan

Grade 5 News

It has been a busy week in Grade Five! We have been learning about Australian democracy and the voting system, and we even learned about what a democracy sausage is. We have also been working hard on writing persuasive texts on the topic, "All schools should have a wellbeing animal." In Mathematics, we have been learning to use the formal algorithm to solve multiplication questions.

Grade 6 News

We have had a great first full week of school and students have enjoyed getting back into their regular school day routines. 

A reminder that Grade Six will be presenting their buddy at Assembly in Week Three (Friday 14th February). They will be showing some art and also singing a song. 

A note to connect to Seesaw went home on the first day of school last week.  If you are not connected and need a new note please let me know. 

Reading diaries were sent home Monday. Please ensure your child is reading for 20 minutes each night. These diaries need to be handed to me in the mornings for signing. Most students are already doing a great job with this! Home learning will start on Monday, with students taking home a Maths sheet to complete. This will be due back the following Monday. This is just a review of concepts covered the week prior in class. 

Some photos are below of students creating Buddy portraits for assembly! They are looking great!

Have a nice weekend! 

Breanna Meyer 

Other News

General News

School Advisory Council Members:

Thel O’Shea, Hannah Mills, Courtney Portaro, 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.