Our Lady of Lourdes Primary
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2 Ascot Street
Toowoomba QLD 4350
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Email: lourdes@twb.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 07 4591 1200
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Our Lady of Lourdes Newsletter, Term 2 Week 7 - 4 June 2020

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Our Lady of Lourdes Newsletter, Term 2 Week 7 - 4 June 2020

Over the years I have often written about the various roles parents undertake to prepare their children for the vigours of secondary school life and beyond. One of the roles is that we need to increasingly make ourselves become a little less redundant each year, because believe me, one of the rewards of perseverance, consistent & fair consequences, wisely choosing when and where to intervene, especially in the teenage years, is…they leave. This may sound a little harsh but it’s not like you want them to leave (well …there are moments!) but the satisfaction gained from witnessing in a very short period of time a person who relied upon their parents for every single thing from basic survival needs to formal attire, evolve into a confident, independent and happy young adult, is certainly worth the effort and the odd heart wrenching decision.

One of the difficulties faced by young children, especially with kids from about Grade 3-5, is the ability to know the difference between telling tales and reporting incidents which teachers need to know about. Generally, kids in Prep to Year 2 will tell you everything. However, depending on the maturity level of students as they get older they begin to understand the difference. For some kids, peer influence is a major contributor in regards to their willingness to “dob” on their mates or not. Consequently, while kids are trying to work all this out, there will be times when reportable incidents go “un-reported”. 

A good rule of thumb to use is that if you feel physically or emotionally hurt by actions or words of others then it is a reportable incident. Alternatively, if you were able to handle it at the time with learnt protective behaviour strategies then involving others may only lead to escalating or fanning the flames of the issue.

It is important to acknowledge children’s feelings but as adults we need to be aware of not becoming too involved in an issue that should belong to them.  The key is to place things in context. Is it an overreaction of something minor due to tiredness, stress etc.? Is it attention seeking behaviour or is it a real concern? Definitely not an easy task for parents to do but assisting kids to resolve their own disputes is a wonderful life lesson and a stressbuster for parents. This is a BIG FAMILY strategy. If you had more than 4 kids, you would be too busy to respond to children’s tales of the less than serious variety. Here are some responses to try when a child comes to you with a tale or story about the dastardly, terrible things that may have occurred at school or between siblings:

The Disaster Scale

“Where does this fit on the disaster scale from 1 to 10?”

Kids can easily blow issues out of proportion so that a child taking a siblings’ sock is suddenly two rungs above a violent hurricane and losing socks is suddenly the worst thing that can happen. The Disaster Scale helps kids gain a little perspective.  

Invite them to solve the issue themselves

“Can you handle this yourself? Is this something you can deal with?

You’ll never know if you don’t give them a go! Put the issue back on the kids to resolve. It’s not that you don’t want to help but really some things don’t need your help!  

The shock tactic

“What would you like me to do about this?”

This is my favourite response as it puts the onus back on to the child. Be prepared for surprises though as some kids just want you to send their siblings away to boarding school!

Problem-ownership

“Does this problem really involve you?”

 Some children just love to get involved in disputes that don’t involve them but they love to get a certain ‘sibling into trouble’. Don’t be drawn into such disputes or else you will soon be doing the ‘sibling dance’ with them, with the ‘tell taler’ taking the lead. 

Put them in the same boat

“I’ll listen to both of you when you can tell me the same story.”

This is the first step in the conflict resolution cycle. If two children have a tale of woe get them to agree on the story they tell. This is usually enough to resolve the dispute.  

The pen and paper approach

“Can you write down what happened?"

Give one child a pen and the other a piece of paper and invite them to write down exactly what happened. A considered written response will be taken very seriously by parents.

Of course, no single strategy will work overnight and like us every child, teenager and young adults even the confident ones, will have their ups and downs. It’s the strategies and support they receive along the way that will ultimately see them through the so called tough times. Parenting is extremely hard work and at times the hardest decisions, even though they might not be the most popular decisions are the best for children in the long term. Becoming increasingly redundant as parents is not an easy path but it is one of life’s necessities for parents and their children.  

Social Distancing

Parents, I really do need you to work with us in regards to maintaining social distancing whilst on school grounds, particularly at pick up time. It is most important that you leave the school grounds as quickly as possible once the children have been dismissed from class. Traditionally this a great time for social gatherings but whilst the restrictions are in place, please avoid congregating in groups even for a quick chat and catch up. Thank you for your co-operation. 

Winter Uniform

It has come to my attention that a number of students are arriving at school without a tie. The school tie is part of the winter uniform and is required on the days they wear their formal uniform. We receive many positive comments each year about how good our uniform looks. This is due not only to the style of uniform but in the way students and their families take pride in their school uniform and abide by the uniform code.

Being Lourdes Learners

During Term 1, we commenced focussing on the attributes of a successful learner or “Being a Lourdes Learner.” This of course was punctuated by the period of remote learning. Now that we are all back on deck, the teachers and support staff have begun revisiting these attributes. For any strategy to fulfil its potential, the common message needs to be heard at home as well as at school. Please take the time to read Ms. Murray’s Teaching and Learning section of the newsletter to gain some insight into what is the common language the kids will be hearing at school about what it takes to be a successful learner.

School Fees

A reminder that school fee invoices were emailed to all families last week. Your prompt attention to the payment of these fees will be of great assistance in ensuring that resources and services are maintained. If any family has been genuinely affected financially by the COVID-19 restrictions on various jobs, please do not hesitate to contact me in order to arrange alternative payment options. A reminder that school fees are no longer sent home monthly. They are calculated quarterly and forwarded home via email once a term. The amount of fees that appears on your invoice is the quarterly amount not the monthly amount. 

Playground Upgrade

The joint School and P&F project to upgrade of the play area in Goodwood street is almost complete. The new fence that was erected over the weekend looks great and will provide greater security to school property and will help a great deal in containing footballs etc. within the grassed area. The play fort was removed a few weeks ago to provide more space to conduct sports training and lunch time play activities. Some of this equipment will be relocated to other parts of the playground. Still to come is the installation of an automatic irrigation system and new turf where the play fort used to be and aerating and top dressing of the existing grassed area. Shot put and discus circles will also be installed.

Capital Grant

Over the past 5 or 6 years, plans have been in place to construct new classrooms and a new administration building. With a gradual increase in enrolments it is important that our facilities continue to meet the teaching and learning needs of the students and staff. Last year the school narrowly missed out on receiving a capital grant for the construction of these new facilities. Keeping in line with our theme of “persistence & perseverance” we recently submitted another application for federal funding. Next Monday, I will be presenting our application to an eight-member panel who are responsible for making the decision on which applications are successful and which are not. With limited funds and considering there are 33 schools and 3 proposed new schools across Queensland in this year’s round, the decision making process is a very difficult one.  Wish me luck and a few prayers won’t go astray either!

 Thanks for reading……Chris

Lourdes Learners 

For the past two weeks it has been fabulous to walk around the school and see classrooms filled with students’ happy faces, learning with their peers and teachers again. The days of learning at home seem to be a distant memory now but what an amazing effort made by all families, students, teachers and support staff to ensure learning continued away from school. Everyone is to be truly commended for the wonderful contributions to teaching and learning during these unique times. 

Many teachers have described their students’ renewed focus and commitment to independent learning, perhaps a result of online learning. Teachers have also noticed the students’ excited energy during group work and learning with peers. It is great to see the traits of a Lourdes Learner demonstrated by our students. 

This year at some stage in either a newsletter, a school Mass or assembly, you may have read or heard about our school theme – ‘Be a Lourdes Learner’. Recently teachers have refined and considered the traits of a Lourdes Learner. We now have an acronym and a mantra that will help teachers and students know and reflect upon these traits… Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think (see table below)*.  

Being students who CommunicateAct, Look, Listen and Thinkwe believe will result in our students exhibiting the traits and dispositions (habits of thinking and doing) of effective learners. Learners who are resilient and respectful critical thinkers who grow as confident learners for life.  

We trust that going forward if you ask your children questions about being a Lourdes Learner, you will hear responses that reflect our continued efforts in developing the traits and dispositions for successful learning and that students see themselves as learners. We encourage families to talk about this at home and ask that you foster our mantra - Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think.  

If you have any queries or would like more information, please ask your child’s teacher or contact me directly. 

Thanks for reading, 

Miranda Murray

Assistant Principal

Miranda.Murray@twb.catholic.edu.au

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*Edited version 20/6/2020

First Reconciliation Candidates (Year 3 up) need to have their information into the school office by Wednesday 17th June. Please remember to include your information, baptism certificate and photo. The $25 Reconciliation fee will be charged directly to the student account. If you haven’t received your Reconciliation Package or know of children who wish to be part of our preparation and sacrament, please contact the school or parish office or email Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au . 

Please remember to find your favourite footy/ sporting team colours for our Coloured Clothes Day  on Thursday 18th June. We will be collecting a gold coin donation for our school charities – St Vincent de Paul, Caritas and Catholic Mission. 

Important RE Dates for your Diary 

Wednesday 17th June – Reconciliation Information due for Year 3 students and up. 

Thursday 18th June – Favourite Footy Colours Coloured Clothes Day – Gold coin donation for our Missions  

Friday 26th June – Pupil Free Day 

Term 3 

Friday 31st July – Pupil Free Day – Bishop’s In-service 

Have a great week. 

Janice

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Prep

Welcome to Week 7.  We are already over the halfway mark.  There has been a lot of sickness making its way around the classes.  Please make sure your children are well rested and if unwell please keep them at home.  We do advocate sharing, but not in this instance!  Over the next few weeks both Prep classes will be completing their assessment pieces.  These marks will help form judgements for end of Semester report cards along with classroom observations.  

Each student’s sight word bank is increasing.  It is important to revise words learnt previously.  “If you don’t use it, you lose it”.  Also, please remember library day is Wednesday for both classes.  If students do not return their books or have a bag they are unable to borrow. 

Thank you to our Parent Helpers that continually turn up to assist in the running of Fitness and Trains groups. We are always looking for helpers with Fitness.  With your continued support these groups provide great reinforcement of content. 

This week in maths we are focusing on patterns and how they repeat.  Look for patterns in everyday objects and around the house.  It is amazing how many patterns exist in our homes and in nature.  In English, we continue with new weekly sight words, our letter r and the word families of ab and an.  Look for these letters, words and word families in your nightly readers. 

Have a great week, stay warm and well. 

Liz and Melita 

Year 1 

Welcome to week 7! 

In English, we are learning to write a rhyming couplet, so we are busy reading and decomposing poetry, trying to find the elements of alliteration, rhyme and rhythm.  

In Maths, we are learning to recognise and classify familiar two-dimensional shapes using obvious features and what 2D actually mean.  We will sort shapes into like groups and learn how many vertices/corners are on each 2D shape.   

Thank you to Mrs Kelly, for explaining the roles of the various groups in our church community during our recent Religion lesson 

In Science, students have created a landscape, illustrating day and night features.  They are on display in our classroom – come and have a look!  Using our knowledge learnt about features of landscapes, students will be designing and building a Zen Garden.  We ask each student to bring in a shoe box lid – only the lid please.   

Have a wonderful week! 

Jenny and Ange 

Year 2 

Welcome to week 7! 

This week we are back into our routine and are enjoying having all of our classmates back at school.  We have certainly had an unusual term, but fortunately life is gradually returning to normal. In English we are exploring fairy tales,  in particular the story of Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood.  We are learning about the structure of a fairy tale and how to write a recount of a fairy tale

This term we are also focusing heavily on punctuation and sentence construction.  We have learnt that when we stop at fullstops in our reading, it helps us to understand where to put the fullstops in our writing. 

In Science we are learning about the forces of push and pull and exploring how an object can change shape when forces are applied.  In Hass we are finishing off our mini project about our chosen country.  In Maths we are exploring fractions and time as well as working on adding and subtracting  multiples of ten with our maths mentals.   

Dennielle, Allyson, Sarah, Aleisha & Megan

Year 3 

It has been great to see everybody back in class – we missed all of the students’ smiling faces! This week, we are continuing our work on persuasive writing in English, fractions and number patterns in Maths, consolidating our knowledge of the relationships between the Earth, Sun and Moon in Science and some of the changes in the Toowoomba community in HASS.

In Religion, we have been looking at the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. We will begin looking at the sacrament of Reconciliation next week. Don’t forget to return your Reconciliation note and information by the 17th June if you would like to be part of this year’s program.

Please remember to return library books every Monday and to return discus notes as soon as possible. 

The free dress day on Thursday 18th June has a theme of ‘favourite footy colours’. We ask for a gold coin donation for the missions on this day. Have a great week! 

Janice, Ange & Annie

Year 4 

Children have settled very well into our normal daily routine and are working hard in all areas. For History this term we are undertaking an inquiry into the life of Indigenous Australians before and after European settlement. Our Mathematics focus this term continues to be Time, Money and Fractions. Children will also be introduced to the use of Decimal Fractions as an important part of our number system. Please continue to work on clock reading and change when working with money, at home.  These are life skills that continue to require practice. 

Online learning was of course, a very important part of our schooling over the first five weeks of term and to continue to keep in touch, homework this term will be a mixture of online activities including Maths, Spelling and Reading. Children have also been working on a Life Cycle power point in Office 365. This is due for presentation this week. 

As we have limited time before the end of the Term, it is important that all students are at school as much as possible.  Although, if you are unwell, please stay home. 

Have a great week everyone and enjoy the winter chill! 

Suzanne, Garry & Michael

Year 5

Welcome to week 7. How good was it to be back in the classroom last week! The pizza party we had last Friday was fantastic and was a great way to celebrate the end of the first week back. The teachers were very pleased with the enthusiasm that the students brought to the classroom and were impressed with the effort and positive attitude of everyone. We have introduced a new morning routine, where we meet together as a grade, start the day with a prayer, led by a student, and talk about our expectations for the day ahead. On Monday we recognise students who have been living the Lourdes way and those that have made great progress in their learning, this is also led by the students. Our aim is to ready the students for being leaders of the school next year.

A consent form went home last week regarding track and field events for the athletics carnival, these need to be returned as soon as possible. If you require another note, please see your classroom teacher.

At this stage, our camp at Tallebudgera will go ahead in early November. A note will come out early next term confirming details and costs. All camp costs will be added to your Term 4 school fees. We are lucky to have such a supportive P & F, who kindly pay for the cost of our transport to and from camp.

Have a wonderful couple of weeks.

Tim, Emily & Steve

Year 6

The students have settled in well after returning from the five weeks of remote learning; it is great to see that some of the students have improved their ability to work independently. We will continue to use Teams and OneDrive. The weekly homework will be uploaded to Teams Files each week. Weekly homework consists of ReadingeggspressMathsOnline and Spelling City as well as assignment tasks. Please ensure that your child follows the weekly homework instructions and has all homework completed by 8am each Friday morning.  

Last week we focused on National Sorry Day and the commencement of National Reconciliation Week. The theme of national reconciliation week is ‘In this Altogether’. We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures. Let’s make reconciliation more than just a focus for a week every year; let’s live it every day! 

Kylie & Larry

Organisation is a vital skill that is developed over time.  Children need support to develop this skill, some more than others.  Below is an article that was posted in LD online.  It outlines some tips that not only help children to get organised, but also may develop skills that will serve them in life. 

Tips for Developing Organizational Skills in Children 

by: Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities 

Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life. Although some people by nature are more organized than others, anyone can put routines and systems in place to help a child become more organized. The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities has compiled a list of strategies that parents can use to help their child develop good organizational skills. 

Use checklists 

Help your child get into the habit of using a "to-do" list. Checklists can be used to list assignments and household chores and to remind children to bring appropriate materials to class. It is recommended that children keep a small pad or notebook dedicated to listing homework assignments. Crossing completed items off the list will help children feel a sense of accomplishment. 

Organise homework assignments 

Before beginning a homework session, encourage your child to number assignments in the order in which they are to be done. Children should start with one that's not too long or difficult but avoid saving the longest or hardest assignments for last. 

Set a designated study space 

Children should study in the same place every night where supplies and materials are close at hand. This space doesn't have to be a bedroom, but it should be a quiet place with few distractions. Young children may want their study space near a parent. This should be encouraged, as parents can then have the opportunity to monitor progress and encourage good study habits. 

Set a designated study time 

Children should know that a certain time every day is reserved for studying and doing homework. The best time is usually not right after school, as most children benefit from time to unwind first. Parents should include their child in making this decision. Even if your child does not have homework, the reserved time should be used to review the day's lessons, read for pleasure or work on an upcoming project. 

Keep organised notebooks 

Help your child keep track of papers by organizing them in a binder or notebook. The purpose of a notebook is to help keep track of and remember the material for each day's classes and to organize the material later to prepare for tests and quizzes. Use dividers to separate class notes, or color-code notebooks. Having separate "to do" and "done" folders helps organize worksheets, notices and items to be signed by parents as well as provide a central place to store completed assignments. 

Conduct a weekly clean-up 

Children should be encouraged to go through and sort out book bags and notebooks on a weekly basis. Old tests and papers should be organized and kept in a separate file at home. 

Create a household schedule 

Try to establish and stick to a regular dinnertime and a regular bedtime. This will help your child fall into a pattern when at home. Children with a regular bedtime go to school well rested. Try to limit television watching and computer play to specific amounts of time during the day. 

Keep a master calendar 

Keep a large wall-sized calendar for the household that lists the family's commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days off from school and major events at home and at school. Note dates when your children have big exams or due dates for projects. This will help family members keep track of each other's activities and avoid scheduling conflicts. 

Prepare for the day ahead 

Before your child goes to bed he/she should pack schoolwork and books in a book bag. Clothes should be ironed and laid out with shoes, socks and accessories. This will cut down on morning confusion and allow your child to prepare for the day ahead. 

Provide necessary support while your child is learning to become more organised 

Help your child develop organizational skills by photocopying checklists and schedules and taping them to the refrigerator. Give children gentle reminders about filling in calendar dates and keeping papers and materials organized. Most important, set a good example.

Kate Tague

Date Claimer!!!

This year we will be supporting National Pyjama Day again on Friday 17th July (early in Term 3) Students can wear their PJs to school and bring a Gold Coin to support children in Foster Care. We will also have a GUEST READER share a story with us on the day. Mark this date on your calendar ASAP.

National Simultaneous Storytime

Last Wednesday 27th May at 11am our school participated in National Simultaneous Storytime via ZOOM. Classes joined in to share the story of Whitney and Britney and then we did the Chicken Dance together. It was a great story and the book is available from the Library NOW.

Library Changes

It has been fantastic to see how students have noticed the recent changes in the Library and we love that you are enjoying the Manga collection again and we have noticed you checking out all the Star Wars and Dinosaur titles. Keep Reading Lourdes!

Library Borrowing Reminder

Please

  • place ALL returns in the returns bin (not on the library counter) for cleaning and sanitising,
  • leave your library bag outside, and
  • ensure you always have clean hands.

Library Borrowing Days Reminder

Monday:       2TJ / 2D / 2V/ 3MR / 3G

Tuesday:       1M / 1B / 6M / 4L

Wednesday:   Prep H / Prep W / 4W

Thursday:      6L

Friday:           5F / 5M / 5S / 4B

Don’t forget your Library Bag.

Overdue Items

Please let us know promptly if you receive an overdue notice and you think that items have been returned. We can do a shelf check at our end and often the item/s will turn up.

Chess News

Lessons have resumed in the Library each Tuesday morning from 7:45am. We have limited spots available but please send an Email to : Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au if your child/ren are interested in participating.

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Book Club

Issue 4 Book Club catalogue is available at: https://www.scholastic.com.au/media/5610/bc_420.pdf  Please order by June 11th.

Orders can then be placed via LOOP and delivered to school. We expect delivery approximately 1 – 2 weeks after this closing date. Please be patient if there are delays due to the busyness of the postal/delivery services. If you have any issues or questions about Book Club please email: LourdesLib@twb.catholic.edu.au

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Thanks for reading!

Danielle & Gael

LourdesLib@twb.catholic.edu.au

This week we are looking at pronunciation and special German phrases.  Next week we are discussing personal details – name, age, family members and pets. 

Christine Fisher