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Mrs Janice Moore / Ms Angela Gilbert / Mrs Sarah Jackman
Mr Garry Birch / Mr Chris Golightly
Dear Parents & Carers
A warm welcome back to the start of a brand new school year. The first few days were a hive of activity and excitement, so good to see everyone back and to hear about the many holiday adventures. There were very few tears and limited reluctance to come to school but that was just from a couple of the teachers! We are well and truly off to a great start. A warm welcome back to all families. Always a treat to see the kids back, looking refreshed from the holidays, spiffy in their new uniforms and most…just a little bit taller!
Naturally, some students particularly those who are new to our school, were a little hesitant but once day one was underway, all seemed to fall into place. A lot to do I think with the efforts of our wonderful teaching staff in preparing for the start of a new school year. If there is anything more we can do to assist you with getting back into the school routine, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A warm welcome to all our new families who join our school community for the first time. Our Lady of Lourdes is a great school and we are delighted that you have joined us and trust your time here will be an enjoyable one. A special welcome of course, to our adorable Preppies who are discovering what full time schooling is all about.
We also extend a warm welcome to our new staff members who have joined the Lourdes team. Mrs. Shauna Coren who will be teaching Year 6C, Miss Jessica Packer in Year 5P and Mrs. Sarah Goldthorpe who will be team teaching with Mrs. Janice Moore in Year 3GM. Over the holidays we sadly farewelled Mrs Kate Tague who accepted a position at the Good Samaritan College. The wonderful Mrs. Maria Kehoe thankfully has returned to head up our Learning Support program along with Mrs. Allyson Jessen. I thank Maria and Alyson for their willingness to take on this very important role at such short notice.
To all our class teachers I would like to express my appreciation for the time and effort they have spent over the recent holidays to ensure that their respective classrooms were organized and prepared for the term ahead. Such a great feeling to walk into welcoming & well-resourced classrooms. The work you have done to provide vibrant learning environments has not gone unnoticed.
Many thanks to all the parents as well. From my observations and discussions with the teachers, the children have arrived fully prepared with the correct book list items, uniforms and a keen attitude to commence the school year. Well done, you have done a great job!
Following is a short article entitled “Make this Year your Child’s Best Ever at School”, written by Michael Grose (Author/Parenting & Education Specialist) that I found over the holidays. It is very much worth the read.
“A new school year means a fresh start for students. Regardless of your child’s performance last year, they start school with a clean slate. A break offers students the chance to begin new habits and adopt new behaviours. Here are five ideas to help you make the most of the fresh start and make this year your child’s best year ever year at school:
1. Commit to your child going to school every day on time. One of the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she goes to school every day – and gets there on time. Kids spend more time asleep than at school, so we need to maximise every day to get full value.
2. Help kids start each day well. A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and some words of encouragement from you will help set a positive tone for a day of learning. This may mean that you adjust your morning routine so that kids have plenty of time get up, eat and get ready for the day.
3. Establish work & study habits. The most successful students are those that develop regular study habits that suit their lifestyle, their study style and their school’s expectations. Find out the work expectations from your child’s or young person’s school and help them establish a work routine that matches.
4. Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Many children and young people are sleep-deprived, which impacts on their wellbeing and their learning. A good night’s sleep consolidates learning, as well as assisting future learning. Children need between 10-12 hours of sleep each day, while teens need a minimum of nine hours. Help kids get sufficient sleep by having a regular bedtime and get-up time each day. Have a 45-minute wind-down time each night and remove screens and mobile phones from bedrooms.
5. Insist kids exercise. The old saying about ‘a healthy body and a healthy mind’ is so true. Exercise releases the chemicals needed for learning and wellbeing. Yet kids today get less exercise than those of past generations, which is an impediment to learning and mental health. Health professionals recommend a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise per day for kids of all ages. Encourage your child to play sport; promote free and active play and look for ways to make moving part of their daily lives.”
Be Prepared
With the start of any new school year or term, it is vitally important for students and parents to be fully prepared. Getting off on the right foot is a pre-requisite for ongoing success. There are a few simple ways to ensure your kids and yourselves have a productive start. Having all booklist and uniform items is a must. Taking shortcuts in these areas only serves to build anxiety in children and can prove disruptive to classroom routines.
The school’s uniform code is very simple to follow. Please note that the policy is there to be adhered to by all parents and is not open to individual interpretation. Avoid letting your children decide what is permitted, especially when it comes to joggers when in sports uniform. No fluro means no fluro – including the laces and black shoes means black shoes for formal wear.
Communicate
Open communication between yourselves and your child’s teacher is paramount for a successful and enjoyable year for all parties. From feedback received from parents in last year’s school review, we have attempted to streamline the modes of communication. As of this year the preferred mode of communication with your child’s teacher, other than face to face, will be via email. Class dojo’s will no longer be offered.
Please feel free to contact me at any time either by email, phone call or face to face, but it is pertinent that your first point of contact is your child’s teacher as they have first-hand knowledge of your child’s progress and daily happenings in the classroom and playground.
The teaching and support staff here at OLOL will do everything we can to help your child to do their best. Let us know if we can support you in any way. Remember, communication between home and school is vital for a happy and productive school year. Myself, Mrs. Moore (Assist. Principal Religious Education) and Ms. Murray (Assist. Principal Curriculum & Admin) are also more than happy to meet and discuss matters at any stage.
How to keep in touch
- Read the newsletter which is emailed to each family every fortnight. Please ensure the school has your current email address.
- Download the Schoolzine App for newsletters, updates, reminders, emergency notifications, change in routines etc. Instructions are provided in this newsletter. (instructions are included in this newsletter)
- Facebook sites – OLOLMemos or individual Year level sites for reminders.
- Attend parent information nights & parent/teacher interviews.
- Be aware of emails sent from your child’s teacher.
- Get involved in school life. Be part of the P&F Assoc., help in the classrooms, sports training or carnivals, support fundraising ventures.
Please keep in mind that like in any organization, problems arise from time to time. A school community is a complex body involving the Parish, Catholic Schools Office, School Administration, teachers and ancillary staff, visiting specialists, parent groups and students, OHS regulations, Child Safety legislations and comprehensive curriculum delivery.
As educators of children, we understand the concerns of parents and we ask that parents in return understand that the roles of the teacher continue to become more demanding and complex. The education of our students is a partnership. When an issue arises, please contact the person concerned directly at the earliest opportunity and in the least formal way, i.e., a quick chat before or after school, courteous email or phone call at a reasonable time of day.
Following this initial contact and if the matter seemingly cannot be resolved, the Principal or Assistant Principal should then become involved. Please avoid the approach of “going over their head” as all this creates is a feeling of distrust.
Another important point is to keep an open mind about what you hear. We love and cherish our children; however, it is wise to remember that they can sometimes embellish and misinterpret things.
Checking ‘stories’ with your child’s teacher in a courteous manner will resolve any such problems, as they are the ones that will know all the facts and can give a clear explanation of both sides to the story.
Keeping an open mind about why we do certain things or why a certain policy or procedure is put in place is also an important mindset to have. One thing I have learnt over 25 years of Principalship, is that not everyone in the school community is going to agree with every policy and procedure. What I can assure you of, is that there are always valid reasons and due consideration involved in our decision making processes.
Trust
Above all, a trusting relationship between home and school is what I believe the single most important factor of success. Lourdes is blessed with highly skilled, experienced and compassionate teachers who will put in 110% to cater for all the students in their care. Most too, have families of their own, so they know how hard parenting can be. Our tremendous academic results and excellent reputation over many years speak for themselves. But they just don’t happen. It takes a lot of hard work, collaboration and shared purpose between students, staff and parents for it to become reality and for it to be sustained.
Parent Information Nights
At the beginning of each year an information session is conducted by the individual class teachers. This is an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and also clarify expectations for the year. During this session information is shared with regards to routines and communication. There is also an opportunity for parents to ask questions regarding such routines.
Please refrain from raising personal issues your child may be experiencing or experienced. Such questions are best left to one on one meetings with your child’s teacher following the session or at another arranged meeting time. As mentioned in the calendar and in my welcome letter, which was forwarded home last week, the Year 1-3 Information night was held on Monday night. The Years 4-6 Information night will be conducted next week Monday 8th February @ 5:30p.m.
Traffic Management System
To alleviate the traffic congestion during the morning drop off and afternoon pick up times, a traffic management system was created in Term 4 last year. A simple rule applies when utilizing the main or Church carparks left in, left out. Please refer to the site plan attached to this newsletter.
The main issue I wish to reiterate, is our genuine request for parents utilizing either Stop, Drop, and Go zones, to delay your afternoon pick up time until after 3:00 p.m. The children are supervised every afternoon until 3:30 p.m. There is no need for parents to arrive at the Stop, Drop & Go zones prior to 3:00 p.m. This practice is the major contributing factor to traffic congestion in the afternoons.
We really would appreciate that all parents and carers closely follow the new direction of travel when utilizing either the Church or main carparks. I would also greatly appreciate it if you could pass these instructions to grandparents or other people who may collect your children from school.
Not only will this system help create a more efficient traffic flow but most importantly a much safer environment for all members of the School and Parish community. I thank you in advance for your ongoing co-operation and patience.
Stop, Drop & Go
We offer two Stop, Drop & Go zones both morning and afternoon. These areas will be the parking bay area in front of the handball area in Ascot Street and in the carpark behind the Church. Both areas will be clearly identified as Stop, Drop and Go zones. Parents must remain in the vehicle; students are to get in and out of the car at the top of the zone or when otherwise directed by the teacher on duty. Please note that it is not mandatory to use these zones. Parents are still most welcome to find a park and walk their children into and from the school.
This definitely applies to families with children in our Prep classes only. We do recommend that you drop and pick up your children from the hall or classroom each day. Preppies with older siblings can utilize the stop, drop and go zones, however they must be accompanied by their older brother or sister.
Mornings: The Ascot Street Stop, Drop & Go area is the priority zone and can be used to drop off students from any year level. If congested, do not wait in Ascot Street for the zone to clear but proceed around the corner into Goodwood St. and utilize the Church Stop, Drop and Go zone.
Afternoons: The Ascot St zone is the pick-up area for students in Grades 4-6 and their younger siblings as well as children being collected by PCYC or other childcare organisations. If this zone is congested or your children are not ready, vehicles are requested to drive around the block for a second attempt. The Church carpark zone is for Grades 1 - 3 students and their younger siblings only. If congested or your children are not ready, you will need to do a lap of the block.
To assist the teachers who will be on duty, it would be greatly appreciated if vehicles could display family name of students who are being collected in the afternoons.
The success of the afternoon pick-up zones will depend on consistent adherence to the above procedure, clear communication between parents and children as to where they will be picked up from, timely communication between parents and the school of any changes to the pick-up routine and timely and prompt movement of students from the classroom to the correct pick-up zones. Supervision until 3:30 p.m. will still be provided in both areas.
Be Safe
Please be ever vigilant of school children when driving and parking in the school precinct. Remember the police will be out in force regarding speed limits, parking and safe driving practices in school zones. Slow right down around schools and be conscious and respectful of others when parking. All schools in town experience traffic and parking issues. We have put several measures in place to help reduce the congestion but above all your patience during these busy times is vital for the safety of all. We certainly do not wish for a tragedy to occur for drivers to slow down and park in a safe place, even if it means a 2-minute walk.
School Fees
All Toowoomba Diocesan schools are currently in the process of transitioning to a new administration and financial software system. As a result, want to ensure the correct information has migrated over to the new system. Therefore, it is anticipated Term 1’s school fee invoices will be delayed until Week 4, i.e. week commencing Monday 15th Feb.
Instrumental Music Tuition
Apart from all Yr. 5 & 6 students who learn the ukulele and percussion as part of their music curriculum, tuition for other musical instruments for students is also available. Most of these lessons are offered out of class time i.e., lunch time or after school. Mrs. Kylie Parker is our instrumental teacher and will commence lessons for those students who were in the program last year next Tuesday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. in the Music room. Kylie will forward home her contact details next week for anyone else who may be interested in receiving instrumental tuition.
OLOL Race Day
Fingers crossed for our upcoming major fundraiser, the biannual OLOL Race Day at Clifford Park Racecourse on Saturday 13th March. Ticket sales have been running hot and there are only 37 tickets remaining. To avoid disappointment, get in quick. Tickets available through www.trybooking.com
Race Day Raffle
We are also seeking donations for the multi-draw raffle. All donated items will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged on the day. If you are able to donate, please drop prizes into the office at you earliest convenience. Thank you in anticipation of your support.
Welcome BBQ & Disco
Our traditional beginning of the year social evening for all families will be held on Friday 19th February from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm This is always a popular evening for the kids and a great opportunity for a social meet and greet for parents. The sausage sizzle & disco are complimentary. Cold drinks will be on sale and a bar will be operating during the night. Your co-operation in maintaining COVID safe practices such as social distancing between adults and hand sanitizing will be greatly appreciated. As we already have families details there will be no requirement to sign in or out of the function. Please note that all children need to be accompanied by at least one adult. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible on the night.
Once again, welcome back. It’s great to see all the smiling faces and to witness the children’s eagerness to settle into their new classes. Please take the time to read through the newsletter and upcoming dates there is plenty happening this term. Just in case some families have not yet provided an email address or downloaded the Schoolzine App, a hard copy has been provided for your convenience. I certainly wish all our families a fabulous year and I look forward to catching up with you all soon.
Thanks for reading…
Chris
Administration of Medication at School
To ensure we meet our duty of care obligations, there are a number of policies and procedures that the school is required to follow regarding the administration of medication.
- ALL medication MUST be brought in in the Original Packaging with a Pharmacy Label attached which clearly states the child’s name and dosage instructions, (this includes over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol).
- Parents/caregivers MUST complete the relevant medication forms which we will keep on file. These forms are available from the Administration Office.
- We are not able to accept medication delivered in snap-lock bags
We are unable to administer the medication if any of the above steps have not been completed.
Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Updated Contact Information and Medical Forms
All students should now have received forms for parents/guardians to confirm their contact details and emergency contact information, along with medical forms for 2021. Please make every effort to return this form to your child’s classroom teacher this week.
We need to ensure that all our records are up-to-date with regards to contacts, especially in the event of an emergency. If there are any changes to your details throughout the year, it is important that you notify the school.
Students will not be eligible to attend any out of school excursions unless they have a current medical form on file. If there are any changes to the health of your child, throughout the year, it is also important that you notify the school and request a new medical form.
Your assistance in these areas, helps us to take the best care of your children we can.
Flexischools
The Flexischools App is used for placing your Tuckshop orders, the ordering of school uniforms and for various events hosted by the P&F throughout the year. To register for a Flexischools account, please follow the details below:
How do I register for a Flexischools account?
You can register by following these steps:
- You can access the service at by clicking the "Register Now" button below
- Submit your email address to create an account.
- Go to your Inbox and open the registration email from Flexischools.
- Click on the link provided (or copy and paste the link in a new internet browser window).
- Follow the registration process, creating a password and completing your personal details.
- Add users to your account. This could be your students or yourself if you are a staff member
Once you are registered and have money in the account, you can then start to order from the Tuckshop, Uniform shop or Special event tickets.
You can also download the Flexischool app onto your phone.
Please note that the initial setup needs to be done on a computer or tablet.
Reminder for any families leaving that you can go into manage your account and close it down following the prompts.
Managing your Account
What would you like to do?
- Topup my account
- Setup automatic topups
- Change my saved credit card
- Clear saved credit card
Transfer my account balance back to me
How to install Schoolzine APP
Apple Devices:
- On your device, open the App Store
- Search the App Store for SZapp
- Download and install SZapp
Android Devices:
- On your device, open the Play Store
- Search the Play Store for SZapp
- Download and install SZapp
1. Find Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School
2. Register / User: Enter your email, name and create a password
3. Confirmation: Once registered you will be sent an email to confirm your email address. Open your mail program and click/tap the URL to confirm. Upon completion you will then be shown a confirmation screen.
4. Allow permissions: Upon installation of the update, you will be asked to allow access to storage on your device. This is required to ensure that SZapp can access the necessary files to store crucial data on your device. Please click the affirmative options on each pop-up. Note: The pop-up message you see may differ depending on your device.
5. Managing Notifications: Choose which group/s you would like to receive notifications from. Groups with arrows indicate that there are sub-groups which you can join.
Welcome back! We hope you have adjusted to the fast-paced start to the school year and trust, as evidenced from all the smiling faces in and out of classrooms, that all families are enjoying the beginning of 2021.
At the end of 2020, our three year journey with the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Lighthouse Project came to an end. This does not mean we conclude being a Numeracy Lighthouse. On Thursday March 4 we will have an Open Door Day where we will be inviting teachers from across schools in our diocese into our classrooms. The purpose of the day is to build networks where others can learn some of the effective teaching and learning practices of Mathematics from our teachers at Lourdes. We are very proud of the journey our teachers and learners have travelled and the positive outcomes after the three years. Moving forward we will continue our work in developing Mathematical mindsets, finding curriculum connections and establishing effective teaching practice for the benefit of our learners.
This year we move our focus to the Reading and Writing connection. Upon reflection and consideration of our over time NAPLAN data, feedback from teachers and our Numeracy Lighthouse journey, we decided to nominate the Writing Improvement Strategy as our Tier 2 teaching & learning project for 2021. Tier 2 Projects attract a reduced amount of support from the TCSO and less PD hours than Tier 1 projects. These projects are designed to assist schools to address teaching and learning needs in response to student data.
This of course does not mean we drop everything we have successfully introduced with Numeracy, Reading, Visible Learning and Visible Thinking. The knowledge and quality teaching practice gained from these projects are ongoing and there will be obvious links to what is involved with the Writing Improvement Strategy.
The objectives of the Writing Improvement Strategy are to:
- Establish a diocesan wide approach to the teaching of writing
- Develop successful lifelong learners who are confident, creative and engaged writers
- Develop teacher clarity through deep understanding of the Australian Curriculum
- Support teachers to utilise evidence-based high impact strategies to drive improvement in student learning
- Support teachers to design, plan and organise teaching and learning cycles that reflect learning design alignment.
- Make connections and align practices across all elements of literacy.
We are looking forward to another eventful year in teaching and learning. If you would like further information please contact me or be sure to check in with your class teacher.
Miranda
Miranda Murray
Asistant Principal
miranda.murray@twb.catholic.edu.au
Faith & Religious Education News
Welcome back to 2021. It’s been great to be greeted with the many smiling faces of the students of OLOL, hearing their holiday news and catching up with each and every one of them as they begin their 2021 academic year.
Our first Assembly is on Thursday 4th February at 2:15pm led by 4B– all are welcome to join us.
Our Beginning of School Mass will be on Thursday 11th February at 10am in the OLOL Hall. We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes appearing to St Bernadette. Our School is named after Our Lady, the mother of Jesus, who appeared to St Bernadette at Lourdes in France, to remind us to pray the special prayer of the Rosary, which helps those who are sick and less fortunate than ourselves. Many people go to Lourdes to receive special blessings from the spring that appeared on the place which Our Lady stood. This clear water has healing powers for those who believe. Please note there is no school assembly on Thursday afternoon in Week 3.
Week 4 is a busy week – we have our Shrove Tuesday breakfast starting at 7:30am on 16th February, Our Ash Wednesday prayer at 2.00pm on 17th February, and our Year 6 Leadership Badge Presentation Assembly at 2.00pm on Thursday 18th February.
We do request donations of pancake mix, Maple Syrup, serviettes and paper plates in readiness for our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast at 7:30am on Tuesday 16th February. Donations can be brought to classrooms or left at the office. Pancakes can be purchased for 50c. The money raised will be donated to the Lenten Appeal for Caritas.
The preparation for our Confirmation and 1st Eucharist Sacramental programme for children in Year 4 and up - begins with the first parent meeting at 3:30pm on Wednesday 24th February in the OLOL Church. Please be on the lookout for the initial information form which will be sent out in coming days. If you don’t receive one – please call at the office or contact Janice Moore on Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au
God Bless and have a great week!
Janice,
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)
Prep
Welcome to Prep - we have made a great start to the school year with our students settling in nicely and learning our routines. This week we will begin our specialist lessons - music, drama, sport and our morning fitness program. Library borrowing for both classes is on Wednesday each week - children must have a library bag.
Our Prep Information evening is on Tuesday, 9th February at 5.30 in our classroom.
We are looking forward to assisting your child as they begin their educational journey.
Cheers,
Liz and Melita
Prep W: Liz Wagner and Tracey Jaeger & Prep H: Melita Hohn & Wendy Mahony
Year 1
Welcome back to a new school year at Our Lady of Lourdes. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new year one families. It was wonderful to meet everyone again and hear lots of holiday stories.
The children settled in well last week with little fuss or tears. We spent the three days practicing some year one routines. All the children enjoyed playing in the playground and all seemed to manage their lunch boxes in the junior eating area.
Our specialist classes started on Monday and we commenced library borrowing as well. Please remember that the dot books that the children borrow are at an easier level and should be used to practice fluency and intonation.
It was lovely catching up with parents at our parent information evening on Monday night. If you were unable to make it and would like a copy of the information discussed, please speak to one of the year one teachers.
Jen and Ange
Year 2
The Year 2 students are settling into their routines very well and have already learnt so much! We have welcomed our new students and they have all settled in remarkably well.
We have been working very hard in Maths, learning to count, identify and model numbers up to 200. Some of us can already go beyond 200 and are responding well to the challenge. Encouraging your child to share their learning at home is a great way to further consolidate their understanding of number.
In English we are exploring the very tragic story of ‘Old Pig’ and studying the events, characters and setting. Ask your child to tell you about the story. It is a bit of a sad story!
A big thank you to the parents who came along to our information evening on Monday. We have sent home some information to those who couldn’t attend.
We have started our first week of homework. Please remind your child to hand this in each Friday.
This term we will be going on an excursion to Pilton Zoo. The teachers are getting very excited! We will be asking for parent helpers on the day. There will be more information soon.
As part of our Health Unit we will be learning about families, so we are asking the students to bring in a family photograph or two to share and display. If we could have them by week 4 that would be great.
Feel free to contact us if you have any queries or concerns.
Dennielle, Allyson, Sarah, Aleisha and Megan
Year 3
Wow – we have had a great start to the year! Welcome back and we extend a special welcome to all our new families and hope that you enjoy your time here at Lourdes. We also welcome Mrs Goldthorpe, who is teaching 3GM with Mrs Moore. Our parent information evening was held on Monday – please let us know if you could not attend and have not yet received a copy of the handouts.
A reminder that sports uniform is to be worn on Tuesdays and Fridays, and that library borrowing day is Thursday for all Yr3 classes. Homework will be sent home on Thursdays and is due each Wednesday.
This week, we are focusing on addition in Maths, narratives in English, solids, liquids and gases in Science and rules and decision-making in HASS. Below are some photos of the ‘Odd and Even Monsters’ we made last week, when we investigated the properties of odd and even numbers.
Our school Shrove Tuesday Pancake morning will be held on the 16th February. Any donations of pancake mix, maple syrup, serviettes or paper plates would be greatly appreciated!
Have a great week!
Angela, Sarah, Damian and Janice
Year 4
Welcome to Year 4! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and would like to extend a warm welcome to all existing families and any new families that have joined Lourdes this year.
Firstly, congratulations to all Year 4 students who have made the Our Lady of Lourdes Swimming team. We wish all them all the best for the upcoming Catholic Schools and West Zones Swimming Carnivals.
Our parent information night will be held on Monday 8 February at 5:30, beginning in the hall. The Out Lady of Lourdes Feast Day Mass will be held on Thursday the 11th February at 10:00.
Homework will be handed out on Wednesdays and is due back on the following Wednesday. This will start next week, Week Two. Library for this year will be on Wednesdays for 4G and 4L and Fridays for 4B. Our sports day will be on a Wednesday and we will also be practicing T-Ball on Fridays in preparation for the Gala Day in Week 8. Could you please ensure students are in their PE clothes for both days?
Over the last few days, the three classes have handed out various notes. Prompt return would be greatly appreciated. Could you also please ensure that your child has bought in all their supplies on the booklist e.g. tissues, paint shirts and textbooks. Thank you for your attention to all these matters.
We all hope you have a great couple of weeks!
Suzanne, Toni and Garry
Year 5
Welcome to 2021! Hope you have enjoyed a safe and happy holiday. We are straight back into the swing of things as the beginning of the year is always busy. Firstly, we welcome some new faces to our OLOL family. We are very excited to have Miss Jessica Packer as one our amazing Year 5 teaching team; but we also welcome new students including Lilah H, Lexi, Lilah C, Bonnie, Mackenzie and Lilly. We are sure it goes without saying, but please ensure you give them and their families a big OLOL welcome.
We are looking forward to a positive year with your children. We have spent our first week establishing our Year 5 team expectations, because in Year 5 we are a team and will be engaging with students from across the cohort; working together towards success. Over the course of the year each teacher will get to know every child, and every child will be taught be each of the three teachers for a variety of different subjects. During our cohort meetings we have spent lots of time discussing how we can be Lourdes Learners, working through the Learning Pit and how our learning will look, especially with flexible learning and reflective practise. If you have any queries, please come and see us.
Homework will start in Week 3 as we will discuss homework expectations at our Parent Information evening on Monday 8th February. We thought this valuable, so parents and students are all on the same page before homework began. Homework will be on a Tuesday – Tuesday cycle in all three classes. Much of the homework is online this year using Maths Online, Reading Eggs and Spelling City. Login details will be sent home shortly with hard copies and files saved in student OneDrive. Please encourage your child to do a little each night. Reading is also part of homework with a Reading Log submitted each Tuesday with an expectation of 20mins reading 5 times per week. Typing and computer literacy will also be a vital skill we will be working on this year. Typing is an essential life-long skill that students must develop in order be successful in the remainder of their schooling; so we highly encourage you to support this development at home.
The first Assembly will be in Week 2. Friday Sport will begin in Week 3, please check if your child requires any equipment. Sports uniform is to be worn on Tuesdays and Fridays. Library Day will also take place on Tuesday. The Library policy is “No Bag No Borrow”! All students must borrow each week!
Several notes and permission forms have been handed out. Please return all notes as soon as possible. On Monday 15th February, week 4, the students will be heading to Emu Gully for a one-day Challenge Camp (this is not an overnight camp). Notes will be sent home this week, so please return these at your earliest convenience. If students have any dietary or medical requirements, please ensure these have been listed on the medical information forms sent home in week 1. This day camp will be charged to Term 1 fees.
Please be aware that we will be communicating via email this year. Our email details are: emily.mckay@twb.catholic.edu.au jessica.packer@twb.catholic.edu.au and timothy.franzmann@twb.catholic.edu.au. Teachers have sent out email communication; if you have not received this please notify us.
Have a great week!
Emily, Jess and Tim
Year 6
Welcome back everyone. We are looking forward to a fantastic year working with you and your children. For some of you, this will be your final year at OLOL. We welcome Mrs Coren, Felicity, Milly and Lana to the Year 6 team! Our main mode of communication this year will be email. Our email addresses are included below. Several notes have been sent home; please ensure that they are completed and returned asap.
Reminders
Year 6 Leadership Day Friday 5th February
Parent Information Night @ 5:30 p.m. on Monday 8th February
Year 6 Leadership Assembly Thursday 18th February
Friday sport – begins Friday 12th February – a reminder that students who have chosen AFL will need mouthguards and students who have chosen to play hockey require mouthguards and shinguards.
Please ensure that your child arrives at school on time; the first bell goes at 8:25am. Year 6 Leadership shirts will hopefully arrive this month.
We have already ‘hit the ground running’ and started all units. In religion we’re learning about the New Law of Jesus, in Hass we’ve started discussing the birth of our nation, science is all about earthquakes, health is about who influences us, digital technology will see us learning about binary code and coding, in English we’ve started writing a letter and we’ve already moved into Maths and Reading groups.
Homework will begin this Friday and will need to be completed by 8am the following Friday
Kylie.McKenzie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Shauna.Coren@twb.catholic.edu.au
Larry, Kylie and Shauna
German
Welcome to 2021 German lessons. We begin today and tomorrow by getting our books organised. We will be discussing facts about Germany and the map flag and shield. Next week we will be discussing important German words, phrases and sounds.
Christine Fisher
Upcoming Dates
Week |
Date |
Event |
Venue |
Who |
2 |
04/02/2021 |
OLOL Swimming Trials |
Glennie Aquatic Centre |
Students born 2009/2010/2011/2012 |
3 |
10/02/2021 |
Catholic Swimming Carnival |
Dalby Aquatic Centre |
OLOL School Swimming Team |
3 |
12/02/2021 |
Friday Sport Commences |
|
Grade 5 & 6 |
4 |
16/02/2021 |
West Zone Swimming |
Glennie |
OLOL School Swimming Team |
4 |
17/02/2021 |
Cross Country Training Starts |
Newtown Park |
Grades 3-6 |
6 |
03/03/2021 |
DD Swimming |
Gatton |
West Zone Swim Team |
8 |
18/03/2021 |
T Ball GALA Day |
Kearney’s Spring |
Grade 4 |
9 |
22-26/03/2021 |
1-6 Swimming Lessons |
Glennie |
Grades 1-6 |
10 |
30/03/2021 |
OLOL Cross Country |
Newtown Park |
P-6 |
10 |
31/03/2021 |
Gymnastics Excursion |
Allstar Gymnastics |
Grades P-2 |
Friday Sport Draw – Week 3 & 4
To be advised
2020 Swimming Carnival Results
Overall House - 1st – Fraser - 444, 2nd – Bradman - 367, 3rd – Beetson – 361, 4th – Goolagong – 335
Living Spirit Awards – Beetson – Zander & Ashley, Bradman – Aiden & Mia, Goolagong – Jay & Claire, Fraser – Bryce & Sapphira.
Individual Age Champions
9 Years Boys – Hayden, Thomas & Jackson/Bowie
9 Years Girls – Skye, Olivia & Isla
10 Years Boys – Ezekiel, Frank & Xavier
10 Years Girls – Sophie, Addison & Madison
11 Years Boys – Nathan, Michael & Coby
11 Years Girls – Claire, Taylor & Isabella
12 Years Boys – Thomas, Luther & Jett
12 Years Girls – Elizabeth, Tameka & Abbi
Thanks again to all who contributed; sponsors, staff, past students and recorders. It is greatly appreciated.
OLOL Swim Trials
On Thursday 4th February between 9:00 and 11:00am interested students born in 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 will attend the OLOL Swim Trials at the Glennie Aquatic Centre. Teachers will walk the students to and from the pool. A note will go home this week to all eligible students. If your child is interested in being considered for the team, please complete the permission form and return to Ms. Salisbury by Friday 29th January.
Please make note that we will not be swimming 100, 200 or 400m races at these trials. If your child would like to be considered for these events, they must provide times from Swimming Club/Training or we can use times from the 2020 OLOL swimming carnival.
Cross Country
The Our Lady of Lourdes Cross Country Carnival will be held on Tuesday 30th March at Newtown Park. In preparation for this event, we will be running a cross country training program, as below:
Who: |
Children in grade 3-6 ONLY Due to teacher/student ratios, children in grades P-2 are not permitted to attend. |
When: |
Wednesday & Friday Mornings – Starting Wednesday 17th February 2021 and concluding on Friday 26th March 2021. |
Time: |
7:30am Sharp |
Where: |
Rose Garden – Newtown Park |
What to Bring: |
Water Bottle, Hat & Asthma Puffers if required. Students can wear their sports uniform for the entire day. |
PLEASE NOTE – STUDENTS ARE TO BE DROPPED OFF AT THE PARK AT 7:30AM.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU WALK YOUR CHILDREN TO THE MEETING PLACE AND CHECK THEM IN WITH THE STAFF MEMBER PRESENT.
FOLLOWING TRAINING WE WILL WALK BACK TO SCHOOL AS A GROUP.
IMPORTANT: As part of the risk assessment process for Cross Country Running, all students that run the competitive track must participate in a training program. Students can complete this at our school training sessions or individually outside of school. ALL STUDENTS wishing to run the competitive track must also have a SIGNED CONSENT form. These will be sent home with interested students.
Representative Sport—Toowoomba & Darling Downs Teams
Throughout the course of the year Toowoomba Primary School Sport and Darling Downs School Sport offer trials to eligible students for a variety of team and individual sports. To be eligible for selection, students need to be born in 2011, 2010 or 2009. Strict nomination requirements apply, and it is at the sole discretion of the school to decide whether to nominate individual students.
In order to gain interest levels and an idea of previous experience, a representative Sport Nomination Form will go home this week. This form outlines all relevant information regarding the trials for the whole of 2021. Please thoroughly read all information. If your child is of a high standard in their chosen sport/s and would like to be considered for nomination, please complete the nomination form and return to Ms. Salisbury ASAP. No student will be nominated for a trial without a completed form.
Rachel.Salisbury@twb.catholic.edu.au
Medical Forms
All students should now have received medical forms for 2021. Please make every effort to return this form to your child’s classroom teacher this week. Students will not be eligible to attend any out of school excursions unless they have a current medical form on file. If there are any changes to the health of your child, throughout the year, it is important that you notify the school and request a new medical form.
Action Plans
If your child has an Action Plan or Medical Alert, please make sure we have the most current one on file. I will send you a reminder throughout the year when it gets close to the expiry date. We ask that all plans are updated every 2 years.
If your child has an Action plan for Asthma, which states that they require a puffer for relief, they MUST have a puffer at school. Likewise, if your child requires an Epipen for Anaphylaxis or Midazolam for Epilepsy, we MUST have access to these items. Without these items, we are unable to provide the care required.
Please contact me on the details below if you would like further information or you would like to check on the status of your child’s plan.
Could all Action Plans be handed into the front office, not the classroom, to ensure all information is updated in our system.
Medication at School
To ensure we meet our duty of care obligations, there are a number of policies and procedures that the school is required to follow regarding the administration of medication.
We have two different policies - one for emergency/short term medication and one for routine medication, as per below:
If your child is unwell and requires the administration of short-term medication, such as antibiotics, there are a couple of things we require:
- All medication MUST be brought in in the original packaging with a pharmacy label attached which clearly states the child’s name and dosage instructions.
- Parents/caregivers MUST complete an emergency/short term medication form which we will keep on file.
- We are not able to accept medication delivered in snap-lock bags, or medication that does not meet the requirements listed above, nor are we able to administer medication without the required paperwork completed.
If your child is to have routine medication (i.e. daily at a specific time), please call in at the office to obtain a routine medication form and as with the short-term medication guidelines,
- All medication MUST be brought in in the original packaging with the Doctors/pharmacy label attached. The label must clearly state the child’s name and dosage instructions.
- Parents/caregivers need to complete a routine medication form which we will keep on file.
- We are not able to accept medication delivered in snap-lock bags, or medication that does not meet the requirements listed above, nor are we able to administer medication without the required paperwork completed.
Tuckshop Orders & Food Allergies
If your child has a food allergy or intolerance, it is important that this information is provided to the tuckshop, when placing an order through flexi schools. Even if the food you are ordering does not contain the allergens, it is possible that cross contamination my occur through the use of chopping boards and utensils. To ensure that your child isn’t unwittingly affected please make sure you click on the ***ALERGY ALERT*** button to include this information. Please see below:
Allergy Alert - Flexischools
You will then be taken to a screen that looks similar to the one below, where you can select the products your cihld is allergic to.
Allergy Alert – Flexischools 2
Please contact the tuckshop if you are unsure how to comple this.
Welcome Back – The Books Missed You!!
We would like to welcome you all back for what we are sure will be another wonderful year at Lourdes.
Library Bags
Students must have a library bag to place their loans in to ensure safe travel between home and school. A school satchel is also acceptable.
Parent Borrowing
You are more than welcome to join our library and borrow more books, especially if you still have young ones at home. We are generally open from 8.00am until 3.15pm so feel free to drop in and borrow some extra books or stay and read one before school! Loans are for a maximum of two weeks and can be swapped anytime.
CHESS News
Chess is back in Term 1 and we enjoyed a FREE come and TRY session on Tuesday 2nd February with Mr Lord in the Library. If you missed the free come and try session don’t worry! You can still join us for lessons each week. Permission forms are available from the Library. We do need a minimum of 8 – 10 students to attend each week to ensure sessions are affordable. Read more about the benefits of Chess here.
Book Club
Book club has arrived, and orders are due no later than February 17th, 2021. At Lourdes we use the LOOP online ordering system. We are unable to accept any cash payments.
AV RESOURCES – IMPORTANT!!! Action Required
There are a number of new and existing resources that have been purchased and made available for our students at the beginning of this year. These resources are available for Grades 1-6. Amongst these resources are DVDs and audio books on CD that are able to be borrowed by students. The possible replacement cost if they are damaged or lost ranges from $10 up to $50, depending on the purchase price. Due to this if you feel that your child/ren DO NOT need to access the DVDs or audio books please email Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au no later than February 20th, 2021. After this date we will assume you have given permission to borrow from these collections. Use the Subject Line: NO AV Resources and list the names of your child or children in the body of the email.
***Please ensure you discuss your decision with your child/ren so they know what they can or cannot borrow.
Senior Fiction Permission Notes
We have a growing collection of Senior Fiction titles in our collection. These titles often deal with themes only appropriate for older readers. As such it is important that we have your permission for your child/ren to borrow from Senior Fiction. Notes have been sent home with all Year 5 and 6 students. Please return them as soon as possible. No form? Email Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au for a copy.
Looking forward to seeing you in the Library soon.
Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte.
CHOIR Wednesday Lunch
Want to sing at lunch time and have some fun with other singers? We are looking for enthusiastic and vibrant students from years 3 to 6 who just want to sing! If you'd like to give it a go and try it for a day, please meet Mrs. Rosier in the music room on Wednesday at 1pm.
If you want to join for the year, you can take home a permission note, bring it back signed and be part of the new choir for 2021! Choir will meet every Wednesday in the music room at 1pm.
Mrs. Ebony Rosier
Music Teacher (P-2), Music & Drama Teacher (Gr4 & Gr6) & Choir Conductor.
The Lourdes clothing shop stocks a collection of new and used uniforms. It is run by the OLOL P&F, with all profits going back into upcoming school projects.
Second-hand Uniforms
All second-hand clothing is donated by the school community, enabling us to sell these items back to you at low cost. Prices range from $5 - $25. All items are as is. Some are in better condition than others, but we try to keep only good quality uniforms.
The clothing shop has a number of payment options available. Cash, Bank Transfer or Flexischools. Unfortunately, we do not have an EFTPOS machine and payments cannot be made through the front office.
All second-hand items are listed on Flexischools. However, we ask that you use this facility as a means to pay for items that you have already sourced, rather than using it as a way to order items. All uniforms are subject to availability, so this will avoid you purchasing something that is not in stock.
New Items
We also stock a range of new uniforms items, such as hats, caps, beanies, bags, satchels and hair accessories. These items are only available through the school and cannot be purchased from Hannas. See the flyer below for more information on what is available.
Other Information
There will be a few changes to the way the clothing shop runs in 2021. There will not be a set opening day and time.
If you require second-hand uniforms, please contact me on Facebook or the email address below. I am at school most days, and I am happy to open the shop up to help you out.
If you are purchasing new items. The best way to do this is via Flexischools, then your child can collect it from me, or I can deliver the item to them during the day.
Please send in any unwanted school uniforms. We are always looking for donations to keep our shelves full!
Don’t forget to sign on to the OLOL Memos Facebook Page to keep up to date with all clothing shop news.
Rachel.Salisbury@twb.catholic.edu.au
0409 645 570