6 - 7th March, 2025 - Term 1, Week 6

Principal's News

Dear Families,

We have completed Week Six of the term, and it will be nice to have a long weekend to relax and keep our minds fresh to tackle the final four weeks! Over the remainder of the term, there is still quite a bit going on, so be sure to check your calendars to see what is coming up.

On Tuesday we celebrated Shrove Tuesday with a delicious morning tea of pancakes, prepared and cooked by some of our staff and dads Thel O'Shea and Josh Tasssone. Our student leaders then served up the treats to some very eager and excited students! The following day, we celebrated a liturgy in the church for Ash Wednesday. This day begins the season of Lent and leads us toward Easter. Our students did an amazing job of reading and singing, as well as showing the occasion the reverence it deserves. In class, students will be learning and talking about Easter and the events surrounding it as the term draws to a close. 

Next week, our Grade Three and Five students begin their NAPLAN assessments. This can be an anxious time for some students, as the format of the assesssment and the time constraints for each test can be challenging. Generally OLSH students are used to completing assessment tasks, but please reassure your child that this is only one form of assessment that we do at OLSH and that trying their best is all that we ask. We use several kinds of data to drive our teaching and NAPLAN is just one of these. We wish our students all the best for the weeks of assessment ahead.

On March 27th we will be holding our Family Night, which offers families a chance to mingle, enjoy a BBQ and also see some of the learning that has been happening over the term in an informal way. The students will all perform a short dance from the STOMP program, which will take place during the same week. Soon we will send home some information asking for numbers for catering purposes, so please take the time to return this to help us out.

A reminder to those families who utilise the Kiss and Go line to collect their children each afternoon - no child is permitted to walk to a car in the pick up line and get in unless they have been sent to the car by the teacher on duty. Students will only be sent to cars once they have made their way to the front of the line. Recently we have also seen some students being walked to cars by other family members and then watched as the car pulls out of the line - this is not acceptable and we ask that all families please respect the rules of the Kiss an Go to ensure the safety of everyone. Thank you to the families who follow the correct procedures in the Kiss and Go line each night. 

School photos are coming up on March 19th, so please make sure you have ordered online. More information is further on in the newsletter.

We wish Mr. Lawrence all the best as he takes some time to deal with his health and look forward to seeing him back in Term Two! Mrs. Lohmeyer will take the Grade Five class for the remainder of the term.

I hope you all have a great long weekend!

Narelle Gallagher

Links:

Enrolments at OLSH:

OLSH Calendar:

Religious Education News

Project Compassion Boxes: each family has been sent a project compassion box to help raise money for Caritas Australia. This project runs throughout the Lenten season and helps many communities around the world. All project compassion boxes can be returned to school on the last day of term.

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

Teaching & Learning

NAPLAN

Students in Years 3 and 5 will complete the NAPLAN Writing assessment on Wednesday 12th March and the Reading assessment on Thursday 13th March. The Maths and Language Conventions assessments will be held next week. All students and teachers are prepared and these assessments will just be part of our normal day. Please don't hesitate to contact your child's class teacher if you have any questions or concerns. 

School Photos - Tuesday, 18th March

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 have been sent home to families. 

OLSH Canteen

Orders need to be completed by 9.15am every Friday.

Dealing with Disappointment

Happy Birthday

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

• Quinn B - 11th March - 9 yrs

• Layla P - 11th March - 9 yrs

• Isaac Longeri - 12th March - 12 yrs

• Giuliana M - 14th March - 7 yrs

• Jake B - 16th March - 10 yrs

• Savannah B - 16th March - 10 yrs

Prep News

Students have done a great job for their first full week of school.

Today we completed our first Inform and Empower lesson. Students learnt how to share devices and look after them. Please see the information below.

What we are learning about at the moment-

Structured Literacy

We have been working on sounding out words using the strategy Tap it, Map it, Graph it. This allows students to recognise how many sounds are in the word before they have a go at writing the word.

Maths

This week we have continued to focus on number formation. We learnt rhymes to help write each number. Please see below if you would like to practise at home with your child.

1- Start at the top and down you run. That's the way to make a one.

2-Around and back, around the railway track.

3- Around the tree, around the tree. Thats the way to make a three.

4-Down across and down some more. Thats the way to make a four.

5- Short neck, belly fat, Mr 5 wears a hat.

6- Down and around back to the nest. Number six is the best.

7- Across the sky and down from heaven. That's the way to make a seven.

8- Make an s and do not wait. Go back to the top to make an eight.

9- Make a loop and then a line. Thats the way to make a nine.

Science

On Wednesday students completed their first science lesson. This term we are learning what Living Things are and what they need to survive.

Enjoy the long weekend! 

School Nurse

A flyer went home last week in your child’s reader folder. We ask that forms are completed by 11^th March 2025.  

https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/sehq/s/

Inform and Empower

Week 7 Photos

Grade 1 News

In Grade 1 we have had an exciting week, creating our own restaurant. We used our Writing time to complete our own menu booklet. Each student was able to pick their very own menu item to be included in the book. We then created some chef hats and used them for our Maths lesson. In Maths, we had different order numbers that we had to re-create using tens and ones blocks. It was a very fun day!

In Literacy, we have been learning about nouns, both proper and common. Students have done very well identifying each one.

Weather has been the focus for Science, understanding how to measure weather and what the job of a Storm Chaser is. 

Well done to those who are getting their spelling words and nightly reading completed. 

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!

My New Gallery

Grade 2 News

 Hi Everyone, 

The focus this week has been Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent. The students all enjoyed some delicious pancakes on Tuesday and then participated enthusiastically during our Ash Wednesday Mass. Rylee read her prayer very well and all the class sang beautifully.

Science

As part of our topic of 'Growing Things Change' we planted some bean seeds today. We all look forward to seeing them grow (fingers crossed) and then taking them home at the end of term.

Writing

We continued our study of Fossils and Megafauna this week which the students have been very interested in! 

The students wrote different sentence types such as statements, questions and commands, using their knowledge of the topic. 

ICT

Yesterday the students began working on a Google Slide presentation using Google Classroom. They have learnt how to change text and insert pictures as well as navigate the Google Classroom platform. The topic of their presentation is (no surprise!) Megafauna and Fossils.

Reminders: 

* Photo Day -18th March

* Easter Raffle Books

*Donations for the Easter Raffle

Week 7 Class News:   Rubee, Bailey, Parker  

 Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Oven Bake Clay Figurines

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

Planting Seeds and Ash Wednesday

Grade 3 News

This week has been filled with many highlights! On Tuesday, we enjoyed delicious pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, and on Wednesday, we received ashes on our foreheads during the Ash Wednesday Liturgy. A special mention to River and Zara for reading their prayer so beautifully, and to the whole class for their wonderful singing.

In Literacy, we are making great progress with diagonal joins in handwriting. We have also started planning and writing a persuasive paragraph on the topic "Everyone should learn how to cook."

In Maths, we have challenged ourselves by learning to read and write six-digit numbers. While it has been tricky for some, we will keep revising until everyone feels confident.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Cheryl-Anne 

My New Gallery

Grade 4 News

This week has been busy with a couple of events (Shrove Tuesday - pancakes galore! And our  Ash Wednesday liturgy.) These days mark the beginning of Lent and we have been working hard on making our own confidential, Lenten promises which we have sealed in an envelope. It will be interesting to see how closely we can stick to our Lenten promises! Thanks to our Grade Four Student leaders  - Esther Smith and Savannah Borchard, who assisted in serving pancakes to everyone on Tuesday.

This week we learnt about decimal fractions and how we can write and represent these on a grid. We have continued our focus on persuasive writing during structured literacy.

Next Friday it is Grade Four's turn to present an item for assembly. Our theme is St Patrick's Day. Students are encouraged to wear 'other' green clothing - apart from their school uniform or to add any Irish/St Patricks's Day accessories if they wish! We hope to see lot's of Grade Four parents there!

Have a great extra long weekend everyone!

Julie

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in Grade 4

Grade 5 News

Unfortunately, this is my last week for the term. From next week, please contact Mrs. Lohmeyer if you have any concerns about your child. The students will be in her very capable hands until I return at the start of next term.

The students have all made a great start to this year and I wish them all the best in the coming weeks, especially with the NAPLAN tests.

Regards, Adam Lawrence

Grade 6 News

This week, we enjoyed delicious pancakes on Tuesday for Shrove Tuesday and received ashes on our foreheads in church for Ash Wednesday. Below, you’ll find some photos capturing these special moments. Well done to everyone who helped out!

Reading Diaries
Just a reminder that I should be seeing reading diaries each day. Many students have not been bringing them in, so please remind your child each morning to ensure their diary is signed and packed in their bag. If they run out of time to read at home after school, there is an opportunity to read in the classroom before the bell rings in the morning.

Mathematics Update
This week in Mathematics, we focused on elapsed time, reading bus timetables, and calculating 24-hour time. Many students initially found these concepts challenging and frustrating, but with perseverance, they made great progress. By the end of the week, many were successfully completing their work independently.

Since time is a skill we use every day, it would be beneficial to reinforce this learning at home. You might quiz your child by asking them to calculate how long something takes to cook in the oven, the duration of their sports training, or the length of a car journey. These real-life applications will help strengthen their understanding. 

I hope everyone has a relaxing long weekend! See you all on Tuesday. 

Thanks, 

Breanna Meyer 

Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

Other News

General News

School Advisory Council Members:

Thel O’Shea, Hannah Mills, Courtney Portaro, Sandra Hammet, Lana Borchard, Sara McClelland, Jennifer Wilson, Jordan Wade, 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.