15 - 23rd May, 2025 - Term 2, Week 5
Principal's News
Dear Families,
HAPPY CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK!
The shorter week has made things quite busy at school, with the Catholic Education Week Mass in Mildura and the excitement of the Bookfair all contributing to this. On Wednesday morning, it was fantastic for our school to join all other Catholic primary schools in Sunraysia, as well as the Year 7s from St. Joseph’s College, at the Mercy stadium for mass. All in all there were around 1000 students present to celebrate and reflect on Catholic Education and what this brings to our lives, both spiritually and academically. Catholic Education Week officially starts today and we will continue our focus on this next week. On Thursday, students began their book buying from the Book Fair, and a percentage of their their purchases allows the school to spend a further $1200.00 on books for our library, so we all benefit! A big thank you goes to Mrs. Lowry for her organisation of the Book Fair and management of the very excited students!
On Monday, the staff attended Professional Development with James Anderson on Learnership. This was just the beginning of our work with James, and over the next two years we will learn more about how we can help our students to become more intrinsically motivated to be the best learners they can be, while developing lifelong skills for the years after they finish school -skills that will see them develop into resilient individuals who embrace challenges, not shy away from them! We look forward to our next session with James, which will be part of a staff meeting in June.
As the winter months creep up on us, we are always going to see a certain amount of illness around the school. We remind families that if your child is unwell, to be mindful of sending them to school where they can spread their germs to other students and staff. On the other hand, it is evident that non-attendance for some students is becoming an issue. As we head into report writing time, student attendance is collated and noted as a legal requirement for future reference. Even though we understand that sometimes appointments and holidays cannot be made outside of school hours, we encourage families to try to do this, so that large amounts of time are not spent away from the classroom. Please take note of your child’s attendance percentage when you receive it on their report at the end of the term – you might be surprised at how quickly the days add up.
Thank you to all families for attending to winter uniform requirements. The students look great when they are all dressed in the proper items. Lately there have been a few students who are bringing caps from home and putting these on before they leave the school grounds or wearing them to school in the morning. Several students have been reminded to leave these hats at home and know that while they are at school, they are to wear their school hat only. We appreciate your assistance with ensuring that children are not bringing other hats to school.
On Tuesday, there will be another school closure (our last for the term!) as staff travel to Euston to gather with colleagues from other Catholic schools in our Northern Zone to hear more about the Diocesan Strategic Plan 2035. We hope to gain a clearer picture of how this will look for our schools at this gathering. We apologise for the inconvenience that closure days can cause to families – most of these are requirements, but the timing of some are beyond our control. We appreciate your understanding, but hope you understand that this professional learning benefits our students and the school as a whole.
Good luck to Isaac Longeri and Summer Alderson, who are off to complete in the regional leg of the Cross Country in St. Arnaud. We wish them all the best - run fast!
I hope you all enjoy a great weekend!
Narelle Gallagher
My New Gallery
My New Gallery
Links:
Enrolments at OLSH:
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Religious Education News
Marian Month: this week we have been learning about the Rosary and the Preps and other new children recieved a set of rosary beads which have been made by the OLSH parishioners. Next week we will finish Marian Month with a liturgy to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Friday May 30th. All welcome to attend.
Catholic Education Week: is being held this week May 26th - 30th. The children will be involved in a variety of activities and learn the important role Catholic Education has played over the years. Our week will finish with our Feast Day liturgy.
Sacramental Program: We have a number of children involved in the sacrament program in the coming weeks. Children are now preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation and Holy Communion, so please keep the following students in your prayers:
Confirmation: The sacrament will be celebrated on the weekend of May 30th - June 1st. The following children will be making their sacrament - Jacinta Wagner, Sophie Barnes, Anatasia Cory, Layla Portaro, Ivie Mazza.
Holy Communion: This will be celebrated on the weekend of June 20th - 22nd and we keep the follwoing children in our prayers as they prepare - Isaac Lohmeyer and Morgan Dowling.
* Children making their first commuion need to ensure they have the passport and attend 3 Masses before making the Sacrament of Holy Communion. These need to be handed into the parish office the week before the sacrament.
* There will be practice sessions for both sacraments the week before the sacrament. Please contact the parish office for further details.
* Lessons are online and need to be completed before making the sacraments. It's encouraged that students complete one lesson a week with their parents.
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Year 2 & Above)
There will be an opportunity for children in Grade Two or above to make their Sacrament of Reconciliation. Below are the details of the parent information night and the celebration of the sacrament. Please contact the parish office for further details if you are interested in making the sacrament.
- Parent Information Session - Wednesday October 15th
- Celebration of Sacrament - Wednesday November 26th
Tuning in to Kids
Student of the Week
| Class: | Awarded to: | For: |
| Grade Prep : | Hazel Wade | Her fantastic improvement when writing CVC words. |
| Grade Prep : | Vincent Matulic | Always working hard and attempting his work with a positive attitude. |
| Grade 1 : | Wyatt Laity | Using great expression when reading aloud, demonstrating great confidence. |
| Grade 1 : | Parker Moule | Demonstrating amazing focus while completing work and doing well identifying verbs. |
| Grade 2 : | Laney Pollard | Having a positive and diligent attitude towards her learning and treating everyone with respect. |
| Grade 2 : | Julius Mazza | His working hard with Miss Roads to improve his reading skills and for always being kind to his peers. |
| Grade 3 : | Levi Pluckhahn | For showing a positive attitude, having the confidence to try new tasks and accepting feedback to keep improving. |
| Grade 3 : | Erica Bloomfield | For having a bright and positive attitude towards her learning and well-presented bookwork. |
| Grade 4 : | Tommy Field | Making a good effort to use expression when he reads aloud. |
| Grade 4 : | Isla Chirgwin | Demonstrating an excellent understanding of the word METAMORPHOSIS. |
| Grade 5 : | Wyatt Field | His excellent work with long division and his valuable contributions to the class. |
| Grade 5 : | Zoe Arnold | Her excellent efforts in writing, especially her sentence structure and her great attitude. |
| Grade 6 : | Charlotte Cowling | Always taking pride in the presentation of her work. |
| Grade 6 : | Paley Hammet | Her awesome details when writing a single paragraph! |
Happy Birthday
We wish the following students a Happy Birthday:
Month of May:
2nd - Dusty H - 7 yrs
4th - Evelyn L - 6 yrs
4th - Bailey S - 8 yrs
6th - Ivie M - 9 yrs
7th - Hunter-Rose K - 7 yrs
11th - Chloe SR - 12 yrs
14th - Meila G - 9 yrs
18th - Oliver L - 8 yrs
20th - Aysha ES - 11 yrs
23rd - Isla C - 10 yrs
25th - Harrison G - 8 yrs
25th - Paley H - 12 yrs
26th - Halle PZ - 7 yrs
27th - Jessica M - 11 yrs
27th - Harriet P - 9 yrs
28th - Parker M - 7 yrs
OLSH Canteen
Orders need to be completed by 9.15am every Friday.
Prep News
Show and Tell- Week 6's Show and Tell is 'Share your favourite book.'
Assembly- On Friday the 6th of June the Preps will be presenting at assembly. Everyone is welcome to come along!
This week in Prep...
Spelling- We have been learning about the letters that make a 'c' sound (c, k, ck).
Writing- We have been learning what a fragment is and a sentence. A sentence needs to have a who and what they are doing, and a fragment means part of a sentence- something is missing.
Maths- We have been learning about patterns.
Religion- We have been learning about how the world was made. Yesterday students received their own set of Rosary beads.
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
Well done to our wonderful Grade One students on their fantastic assembly today!
They should all be incredibly proud of their efforts—it was a joy to watch them shine.
It’s been a busy and exciting week, with the Book Fair and the CEW Mass on Wednesday. I was extremely proud of how respectfully and responsibly all students represented our school during the Mass.
A note regarding our upcoming excursion on Wednesday, June 12th has been sent home. Please remember to sign the permission form on SIMON, and send in $12 to cover the cost of the excursion.
Reminders:
Full winter uniform is now required for the remainder of the term.
Library day is Monday—please ensure students bring their books.
Finally, please take a moment to read through the rest of the newsletter—there’s always important information about upcoming events and activities that we don’t want you to miss.
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
It has been a very busy week this week, with lots of special events taking place.
The students have been very excited about the Book Fair and enjoyed the chance to shop for some new books. It was great to hear how many students enjoy reading different books at home in their spare time.
I was also very impressed with how the Grade Twos participated respectfully during our Combined Schools Mass on Wednesday. I think they enjoyed seeing all the different schools coming together and celebrating Catholic Education Week. We will do some more learning about Catholic Education and our Diocese next week during Religion lessons.
The students really enjoyed taking part in the National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday. This session was led by our school leaders who did a wonderful job of presenting the story and explaining the activity. The story book was called 'The Truck Cat' and it touched on themes such as community, kindness, loneliness and connection.
A letter went home this week with some information about our excursion to Wentworth on the 12th of June. Permission can be given on the SIMON Everywhere App and $12 towards the cost of the excursion can be paid to the office by the 9th of June.
A reminder that next Tuesday the 27th May, is a school closure day. The teachers will be travelling to Euston to attend a Professional Development day.
Have a great weekend!
Lisa
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Lisa Ryan - lryan@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 3 News
This week has flown by, and the students have managed the changes to routine and extra activities with enthusiasm. On Wednesday, we joined students from other local Catholic schools to celebrate Catholic Education Week. When we returned, we participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime—always a fun event!
On Thursday, Ms Garreffa worked with small groups to make pumpkin soup and croutons. The students have been eagerly watching the pumpkins grow all year and were very excited to finally harvest and cook with them. You’ll find photos in the gallery and on Seesaw, and by popular demand, I’ve shared the recipe on Seesaw as well. Next week’s recipe adventure: pumpkin scones!
In Religion, we’ve been learning about Mary. Our lessons have included exploring the Hail Mary prayer and understanding the importance of the Rosary for Catholic Christians. If your child has Rosary Beads at home, we would love them to bring them to school for these lessons.
A big thank you to the families supporting homework and home reading. Even a few minutes a day really makes a difference!
Have a lovely weekend!
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
My New Gallery
Grade 4 News
It has been quite a hectic week with much happening every day this week, including the School Closure where staff attended a very worthwhile PD at the golf club. A reminder that there is another school closure next Tuesday 27th May.
Our Catholic Education Week Mass was a great experience for all Catholic schools in Sunraysia to come together and celebrate what is great about Catholic Education. Catholic Education Week is officially beginning next week.
On Thursday, there were many excited students in the library buying up big at the Book Fair. Thanks to Mrs Lowry who organises this event every year.
FYI - next Monday 26th May, I will be out of the classroom for my report writing day.
Our class has a lovely 'leaf art' display in the foyer of the multi-purpose room if anyone is interested in having a look!
Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Julie
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Julie Phelan – jphelan@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
(Friday's): Emma Garraway - ewood@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 5 News
Grae 5 has been working really well while Mr. Lawrence has been away, and I'm sure the class are looking forward to his return on Thursday! Well done to Grade 5 on adapting so well to the changes that have happened this year. Thank you to Mrs. Lawrence for filling in while Mr. Lawrence has been away. We hope Mr. Lawrence is feeling good!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Adam Lawrence- alawrence@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
Grade 6 News
It feels like I say this every week, but what a busy week in Grade Six!
Students enjoyed viewing and buying their books from the BookFair on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Catholic Education Week Mass was held on Wednesday. We travelled into Mildura to attend with the other Catholic Schools in Sunraysia. It was a wonderful mass and many of our Grade Six students had special roles with jobs and speaking. Wednesday was also National Simultaneous Storytime. Our leaders read classes the same story 'The Truck Cat' and students were able to complete an activity together.
Looking into Week 6:
- Tuesday is a student free day
Have a great weekend!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me during office hours, either the SeeSaw app or email:
Breanna Meyer - bmeyer@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au
- Sophie Lohmeyer - slohmeyer@olshmerbein.catholic.edu
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
8.30am | Supervision of students begin. Classrooms remain closed. |
8.45am | Classrooms are opened for preparation 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 then go to 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.
