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Ms Angela Gilbert / Mrs Sarah Jackman
Mr Garry Birch / Mr Chris Golightly
Welcome back everyone to the final school term of 2021. So good to see how well the relocated classes have settled into their temporary new surroundings. The trial period of new pick-up zones and times has proved effective with traffic flowing effectively especially in the afternoons. The new play eating and play areas are also proving to be a success. All thanks to the co-operation and ability of students, staff and parents to adjust.
Where has this year gone? And with only 37 school days left until the end of term, I’m sure Christmas will be upon us in no time, especially when you look at all that needs to be done. But, as always, we’ll get things done and do them exceptionally well. A quick glance at my diary tells me there is no room for complacency. Along with a rigorous few weeks of teaching and learning which will be followed by end of semester assessment and reporting, there are various school based activities which require our full attention. These include: - Wear Red Day for Daniel, Yr.5/6 Interschool Sport, Yr.4/5 sporting schools’ afterschool training, All Schools Touch carnival, Yr. 5 leadership speeches, All Saints Day Mass, Year 5 Camp, P-2 Gymnastics, Volunteers Morning Tea, P&F & School Board breakup, Prep 2022 orientation morning, Final Assembly and Yr. 6 Graduation, Swimming Carnival and end of year class celebrations …. whew! What a term!
This term of course will be a special time for our Year 6 students. It will be a term of many “lasts” for their primary schooling. Amidst the excitement of these milestones and the trepidation of continuing their journey into secondary school, there of course will be a tinge of sadness and not only for the students, as their parents will naturally cast their minds back to their child’s first day of school and ponder where did those seven years go. Their teachers and their Principal will be most proud of what they have achieved from those early days in Prep and as always, it will be very sad to see them go.
It was an absolute delight to have the opportunity to attend the Year 6 camp last week. Besides the superb location and great activities, witnessing the excellent behaviour and attitude of the Year 6 cohort was most rewarding. The students were a credit to themselves, family and teachers (past & present). I not only congratulate them but also thank them for their co-operation and level of involvement in all activities. A big thank you to Mr. Lee, Mrs. Mackenzie, Mrs. Coren and Mrs. Salisbury for their time and effort in organising this year’s camp as well as ensuring the kids were well cared for throughout the week long camp.
As mentioned in the last newsletter of Term 3, I wish to provide further information about a couple of areas that were highlighted in this year’s School Improvement Surveys.
The information collated from the surveys really does provide us with ideas and support for proposed initiatives for future planning. The installation of air-conditioning into classrooms, increased investment in technology resources, ongoing rollout of classroom refurbishment, increased levels of communication between school and home, improved maintenance of the school grounds, additional cleaning of toilets and the introduction of stop, drop and go zones to improve parking and traffic issues, are good examples of recent initiatives stemming from feedback received.
Once again, the overwhelming number of positive commendations received and overall satisfaction of how OLOL as a school is progressing and how happy their children are, was most rewarding to receive. The school’s academic success over the past few years is a testament to the hard work of all involved and proof that we must be doing plenty right.
From the responses, the main topics of concern raised in feedback from parents were:
- Perceived inconsistencies with Behavioural Management [5% of respondents]
- Vagueness of report cards & further clarity around A-E reporting [5% of respondents]
- Lack of space, upgrade of buildings and concern over increasing enrolment
Let’s begin with the area of Behavioural Management. As you may or may not know, OLOL, like all other schools within the Toowoomba Diocese has a very comprehensive Responsible Behaviour & Student Support Policy, which can be located on the school’s website. This provides staff, students and parents with a guide to processes in place. Alongside this are school procedures and school rules. The main purpose of the policy or plan is to provide clear information about the steps involved to deal with major and or repeated breaches of school rules/expectations.
This seems straight forward but parents do need to realize that we are in the business of dealing with young people who come from a myriad of backgrounds and life and health experiences. Primary school is the children's first experience of formal rules and expectations other than those of their parents. They are on a massive learning curve when it comes to understanding that they are no longer the centre of the universe. Most pick this up pretty quick, but like learning anything for the first time, some take more time than others.
It is for these reasons, any behavioural management plan in a primary school needs to be contextualised. By this I mean, our approach requires a level of flexibility to cater for the various developmental, maturity and personal backgrounds of the students.
I believe this is the reason why some parents may perceive there are inconsistencies. Without all the information it is hard sometimes to work out why a particular course of action has been taken. I can though, reassure parents that all matters of poor behavioural choices, particularly those which cause physical and or emotional harm are appropriately addressed, and clear consequences enforced. Our aim is to address the behaviour and assist the student to develop a mindset that enables them to make positive choices and understand the benefits of consistently making positive choices.
I would encourage parents to contact their child’s teacher in the first instance to gain the full story behind any behavioural incident and subsequent action taken. When everyone has all the details, informed decisions can be made, and a clearer understanding is reached. If further detail is required, I am more than happy for parents to contact me once they have been in communication with their child’s teacher.
Overall, the standard of behaviour of Lourdes kids is exceptional and the vast number of positive responses from parents and teachers support this claim. For this to occur, the procedures we have in place and the positive influence of a supportive a nurturing culture must be working. Of course, we always strive to improve and consequently, our behavioural policies and procedures are reviewed on a regular basis.
Further information around report cards and assessment will be included in the next edition.
Reading through the many affirmations, it became clear there is a common thread to what the respondents were saying. The staff and Yr. 5 & 6 students also agree that OLOL is a very welcoming, caring, positive and supportive school that punches well above its weight when it comes to overall performance and extra curricula opportunities. The value placed on establishing and maintaining positive relationships with all members of the school community is visible and part of what we do.
With so many pressures placed on schools, students, teachers and parents to perform up to high expectations, it is important that this is balanced and supported by a positive and nurturing environment.
Once again, thank you to all who completed the survey. The information collated each year is most useful in assisting the school to improve its day-to-day operations and to implement effective practices that will provide the students, parents and staff with a safe, enjoyable and quality teaching and learning environment.
Highly Accomplished Teacher:
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our wonderful Prep Teacher, Mrs. Meltia Hohn, on her successful certification as a Highly Accomplished Teacher. Certification is a rigorous process and the assessment of teaching practice has been made against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in two stages of assessment. It has included a portfolio compilation demonstrating outstanding practice across the seven standards of the APST and all 37 descriptors. Observations of practice, referee statements and discussions with referees and the Principal during virtual visits have also been completed.
Certification at this level formally recognizes the abilities, experience, knowledge and skills of teachers and recognizes and promotes quality teaching. It is designed to benefit all of those involved in the process, including teachers, school leaders, education systems and, most importantly, students. The recognition and certification of excellence are intended to encourage teachers to engage in a process aimed at developing collaborative learning professionals who strive to reflect upon and improve practice. It involves considered reflection on the teacher’s individual classroom practice and their impact and influence on the practice of colleagues and student outcomes. Congratulations Melita!
Parent Information Night:
I extend an invitation to all interested parents to come along to a school building project information session next Monday (18th Oct) evening in the hall at 6:00 p.m. This will be a good opportunity to gain detailed information about plans, timelines, funding etc. It will also be a great opportunity for parents to ask questions in relation to the construction of the new buildings. Hope you can make it.
Lourdes on the Lawn:
Saturday afternoon was a great success. Many thanks to all the families who attended and supported the event, especially those who assisted with the setup and packing up…many hands made light work. I also extend a big thank you to Jodie Lobwein and Mandy Ryan for their efforts in organizing the event along with the wonderful help of P&F committee members and staff. Hopefully, we have broken the rain hoodoo that has accompanied the event over the past few years.
Tuckshop:
Due to the building works we, unfortunately, are unable to continue with our weekly tuckshop service until further notice. We will however offer a few special lunch deals throughout the term. More details will be forwarded home shortly.
QAMT Maths Comp:
Year Six students, Zeke, Lexie and Lyla will be competing in the second round of the QAMT maths quiz at St.Urusla’s College tonight. We wish them every success and also thank Mrs. Mckenzie for her time and effort in working with the students and accompanying them to tonight’s event.
School Banking:
I wish to sincerely thank Sarah McEnry & Kelly Mostyn for their voluntary time and effort over the past few years in managing the school banking service. I know many students and their families have been most appreciative of their weekly dedication to this role. As a result of the building project, we have temporarily suspended school banking due to the lack of a secure space to process transactions.
Attendance at School:
With the shortness of the last term of school and the amount of assessment items required to be completed, it is vital that all students are at school every day. Even a couple of days absent can place the student at a disadvantage and cause delays in the teaching of important content.
It is also most important that you contact the school as early as possible.
This also applies to late arrival at school. Teachers use the first part of the day to set the course of the day, ensure everyone has what they need and explain what needs to be done. Repeated late comers disrupt this important routine. Not only does the child who arrives late miss out on important information, so too do other children due to the teacher having to stop and wait for any late comers to organize what other students did prior to the commencement of class. This places undue stress on everyone in the class.
Furthermore, all late arrivals and early departures for appointments etc., are required to sign in or out at the school office which is now located in the library.
School Fees:
With only 7 more weeks left of this term, it proves to be an extremely busy term with many school events to organize along with end of year assessment and reporting to complete. As a result, it does not leave much time to chase up overdue fees. Could I ask all families to be mindful of this and to reconcile all fees and levies by the end of November. This also allows the school to confidently meet all of its financial commitments, purchase new resources and undertake classroom refurbishments over the Christmas holidays. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
Day for Daniel:
Please note a change in the calendar date for the Day for Daniel. It will now be held on Friday 29th October, rather than the advertised calendar date of 21st October. In support of this, we are asking everyone to wear red to school on this day. A gold coin donation will apply. We are aiming to highlight the importance of personal safety and feeling safe. It will also integrate well into the various Life Education Van lessons which will occur over the next couple of weeks. Please refer to Mrs. Moore’s APRE section in the newsletter for further details.
Assemblies:
Due to the relocation of classes in Term 4, we no longer have the Hall space for assemblies, so with our wonderful Parish’s blessing, we have decided to hold our assemblies in the Church. We have split the school into 2 parts – P-3 and 4-6. So, we will have assemblies for each group on alternate weeks. Our Year 6 leaders will continue to be our assembly coordinators.
Assembly program for this term…
Week 2: Grades 4-6
Week 3: Prep to 3
Week 4: Grades 4-6
Week 5: Prep to 3
Week 6: Grades 4-6
Week 7: Prep to 3
Week 8: No assembly
Week 9: Grade 6 Farewell Assembly – Whole School (venue to be confirmed)
Year 5 Leadership Speeches:
For those Year 5 students who are seeking school leadership election for the 2022 school year, they will be required to deliver a speech to the Yr. 4-6 students, teachers and support staff. These speeches will be conducted in the Church on Wednesday 17th November. Parents of the students delivering the speeches are most welcome to attend.
Thanks for reading…. Chris
Administration Office - Our New Temporary Home
A reminder that we are now located in the Library, please ensure you visit us here to either say hello, sign your students in and out of school for appointments and/or late arrivals. The school office hours are 8:00am to 3:30pm.
Paying School Fees
School Fees for Term 4 should be out by mid-late next week. Please check your emails to ensure your statement has not ended up in your junk/spam folder.
When referencing the payment of school fees we have many families who use either their surname, first name, their maiden name, trust account, business name, childs first name or last name. Due to our continued growth here at OLOL, we now find that many families have the same name and as such, can easily cause complications when receipting respective payments as they can be inadvertantly coded to the incorrect family.
To streamline the process of payments and to help ensure your payment goes directly to your account, we would appreciate if you you would please use your new family account number along with the surname of the person making the payment as your reference.
For example: OLO445 Buckley
New codes were issued to existing families when we transitioned to the new account system and you will find your family/household coded located at the top left of your school statement.
Please also note our ADF bank account details on the bottom left of your invoice. We still have a few families paying their fees to our old Heritage Bank account and would be grateful if these families would update their records accordingly to pay into this ADF account.
Clothing Pool Donations
Due to limited storage with our upcoming building project, we request no further donations to the clothing pool at this point in time. If our families would kindly hold on to these items until the construction is completed that would be greatly appreciated. With thanks
Building Project
The school certainly looks different to the way we left it before the holidays! Going for a walk through the gutted classrooms where the Year 5s were located was an interesting experience, especially seeing the murals of old that were hidden behind the walls (see pics below). These classrooms were where the old library was located. I wonder if anyone in our community recognises the murals?
Remember you can find us this term at the following places…
- Administration Office - Library
- Principal & A.P. Office - Parish Centre
- Grade 6 - Hall
- Grades 5P & 5M - Music/Drama Room
- Grade 5F -Library
- Music / Drama - Classrooms or The Church
- Learning Support- in the Hive between the Prep classrooms
NAPLAN Results
In our last newsletter I shared how you can interpret your child’s Naplan results. As a school our students performed well with our school mean score above the National, State and Diocesan mean scores, for Reading, Writing and Numeracy. Our Year 5s also scored above National, State and Diocesan mean scores for Spelling and Grammar & Punctuation. Year 3 scored above State mean score for Spelling and above the National and State mean scores for Grammar and Punctuation.
An advantage of the online test format helps us to easily analyse areas we need to improve on, and our teachers have already spent time analysing the data to inform practice. Despite, performing well, the data sheds light on areas to impact teaching and learning which we always endeavour to do for the benefit of our students.
Lourdes Learner Focus
We are excited to be back with our Lourdes Learner focus on Think as a learner and global citizen.
Think as a Learner
Here at Lourdes, we are wanting our students to be critical and creative thinkers. We want students to think of themselves as a learner and reflect on their progress by asking ‘Where am I at? What are my next learning steps? What do I need to get there?’ We aim for students to solve problems, make connections, and transfer what they have learnt to new contexts.
Think as a Global Citizen
To be competent global citizens in a complex world, it is necessary to be able to evaluate and generate ideas. We encourage our students to give reasoned arguments, consider different perspectives and identify pros and cons to make informed decisions. To develop skills in complex reasoning, opportunities for students to retrieve, comprehend, analyse and use knowledge are provided. Through a Catholic lens, we encourage our students to imagine possibilities, brainstorm solutions and create new ideas that help solve problems both locally and globally.
Miranda
Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal
miranda.murray@twb.catholic.edu.au
Faith & Religious Education News
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone had a restful spring holiday and are ready for the next 8 weeks of fun filled OLOL action.
The month of October is also regarded as the month of the Rosary so sharing a Hail Mary each day with your family is a nice idea to remember Mary, the Mother of Jesus. October is also World Mission Month – Catholic Mission asks us to make a donation to support their work in troubled areas of our world. Donations to the Classroom Mission boxes will be collected and sent to Catholic Mission.
In Week 3 and 4, it is Family and Health and Well-being Week. Each class will focus on the appropriate family life programme for their year level. All families will receive a form email outlining the topics of discussion. Please complete your form email as soon as possible. If you have any questions or queries about the topics your child’s class will explore, please contact your class teacher by Friday 15th October. Healthy Harold will also be coming to visit – Classes have a time set to visit with Harold. $5 will be charged for each child on the Term 4 school fees.
On Friday, 29th October it is our “Wear Red for Daniel” Day – A Day when we remember the special messages, reminders and advice of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. We explore ways to keep ourselves safe. Wear something that is “sun safe red” and bring a gold coin so we can support the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to continue in their quest to keep all children safe. We have planned a "Red” walk to Newtown Park with our Little Miracles buddies. We ask each child to bring their morning tea and a drink to eat together. Our Lourdes family is lucky to have some special police officers who will be coming along to encourage us all to Recognise, React and Report, if we feel we are in danger. Parents and Carers are welcome to join us - we leave the school at 9.00am.
This term we usually collect grocery items to make up hampers for our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter. The members of St Vincent De Paul have always been very grateful for the generosity of the community of OLOL. Covid 19 restrictions are still hampering how our St Vincent De Paul volunteers can handle, sort and deliver groceries. Our local St VDP chapter have asked if we could donate grocery store gift cards or cash donations which we can convert to gift cards. This way those less fortunate than ourselves, can still enjoy a special Christmas. We plan to give these donations to a member of our St Vincent De Paul Chapter at our Final Assembly on Tuesday 30th November. Please send in your donations to your class teacher. Thank you for supporting St Vincent De Paul in this way.
Please remember our Assemblies now start at 2.00pm in the church and we have lower and upper school assemblies. Weeks 2, 4, and 6 are for Years 4-6 and Weeks 3, 5, and 7 are for Prep – 3.
RE Dates for your diary
Friday 29th October – “Wear Red for Daniel Day” – gold coin donation
Monday 1st November – All Saints Day Mass at 10 am for Years 3-6 in the OLOL Church
Have a great week.
Janice
Welcome to Term 4 from The Hive. Learning Support has moved to the space between the two Prep classrooms. The best way to find us is through the middle door on the tuckshop side of Prep. Social and emotional wellbeing is the topic this term and will include information about managing emotions, anxiety and building resilience.
Coping With Emotions
Learning to express emotions in a positive way helps children develop the skills they need to manage them effectively. Here are some tips on how to help your child cope with difficult emotions.
Children experience complex emotions just like adults.
- Young children usually don’t have the vocabulary to talk about how they are feeling. Instead, they communicate their emotions in other ways
- Children can express their emotions through facial expressions, through their body, their behaviour and play
- Sometimes they may act out their feelings in physical, inappropriate or problematic ways
- Children need to be shown how to manage their feelings in positive and constructive ways. They learn how to do this through their relationships with parents, grandparents and carers
Children who learn healthy ways to express and cope with their emotions are more likely to:
- Be empathic and supportive of others
- Perform better in school and their career
- Have more positive and stable relationships
- Display less behavioural problems
- Have good mental health and wellbeing
- Develop resilience and coping skills
- Feel more competent, capable and confident
- Have a positive sense of self
What parents can do to help their children develop their emotional skills.
Helping your child identify and express their emotions is the first step in helping them manage them. Here are some of the ways you can help your child learn about and express their feelings:
- Tune in to cues – Understand them by looking at their body language, listen to what they’re saying and observe their behaviour
- Name the emotion - Naming emotions is the first step in helping children learn to identify them and accept them
- Identify emotions in others – Cartoons or picture books are a great way to discuss emotions and recognise other people’s feelings
- Be a role model - Show your child how you’re feeling about different situations and how you deal with those feelings
- Behind every behaviour is an emotion – Knowing what is driving the behaviour can help you guide them to express it in other ways
- Encourage with praise - Praise your child when they talk about their feelings or express them in an appropriate and helpful way
- Get creative – Having your child draw their emotions and name them can help them identify and accept different emotions
Dealing with emotional upsets
Sometimes children don’t have the words to express how they feel and may act out their emotions.
Your child might hit or throw toys when angry or frustrated.
Or they might have a hard time settling down at bedtime after an exciting day.
Use this as a learning opportunity to teach your child to express their feelings in a positive way. Teach your child to act on emotions by:
- Trying to solve the problem with words
- Talking with a grown-up about what is happening
- Describing what they are feeling or reactions in their body
- Saying what they feel instead of acting it out
- Asking for help or support
- Taking time to relax before trying again
- Finding a different way to do things
- Walking away and taking time out
- Spending time with a loved one or asking for a hug or cuddle
- Taking some deep breaths
As well as dealing with emotional upsets when they happen, there are longer-term strategies you can use to help your child manage their difficult emotions.
Help them find new strategies – Add new activities to the list so they have a variety of ways of coping with emotions eg. dancing, games, deep breaths
Accept feelings – Acknowledge your child’s emotions and let them know that it’s okay to have and express feelings. Respond with reassuring words or a hug
Listen to your child’s feelings – Let them talk about feelings so they feel heard. Try not to minimise, dismiss or ‘fix’ the negative feelings straight away
Create a story – By asking them what happened, what they thought, what they felt and what they did (or could do differently next time)
Encourage problem solving – Once your child has expressed their feelings, work together to come up with a plan to solve the problem (if you can)
Find out what helps them – Have a list of activities they find calming and that helps them get through difficult emotions eg. read a story together
Be a safe space for your child – So they feel secure and able to express their emotions and find ways to deal with them
(Reference: Dr. Vanessa Lapointe: Author, parenting expert, and registered psychologist at Parentline https://parentline.com.au)
For more information about how to talk to your child when they are highly emotional, go to
https://www.parentingideas.com.au/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-child-when-theyre-highly-emotional/
If you would like information on other topics visit Michael Grose’s website at parentingideas.com.au. Michael Grose is a parenting educator and author.
Have a great week,
Maria & Allyson
Allyson Jessen & Maria Kehoe
Learning Support Teachers
Prep
Welcome Back to Prep! We hope you had a wonderful, relaxing holiday. We have a very busy but short term as we prepare for Year 1. It has been great to see the children settle back into school learning behaviours. As a Lourdes Learner, we look, listen, think, communicate and act.
Have you got your detective hats on? Apparently, some Fairy Godmothers have been overtaking Prep. I hope the Prep Detectives are ready. This term we are Fairytale Detectives as we look for clues in our Fairytales. Where has Cinderella’s slipper gone? What will Jack do with his magic beans? Who is creating the big winds that are blowing down the houses and why does my grandmother have big ears? Stay tuned.
Over the next few weeks we will continue to revise, revise, revise as we extend our reading and writing capabilities. Please remember to practise sight words and read readers nightly. This is extremely important as we progress to Year 1.
This Term in Maths, we are continuing to focus on our understanding of numbers to 20. Please discuss and encourage the use of numbers in everyday activities.
In Science we are learning about the way things move. In Geography we explore “Our Special Place” and in Religion we examine the Traits of Jesus.
Next week we celebrate Health and Wellbeing Week. Over the course of the week we will be learning about how to keep ourselves safe and healthy. During the activities over the week we will have a visit from Toothbrush Land, a police visit and we will learn about our safety hand and adults we can talk to if we are feeling scared or unsafe, a visit from Nurses, Mr and Mrs Vanderplassche, healthy foods and the importance to slip, slop, slap. We are also visiting the Life Education Van. Activities are occurring daily. Please take the time to discuss this learning with your child.
The weather has certainly warmed up since the end of last term. Please ensure your child has a waterbottle and hat EVERY DAY. Please also make sure they are clearly named.
Library borrowing continues every Wednesday. Please ensure books are returned each week so new items can be borrowed.
We look forward to a busy and exciting term ahead, where our detectives become even better readers and writers.
Thanks,
Liz and Melita
Year 1
Welcome to week 2! This term Year 1 are revising their learning in readiness for the journey to Year 2.
Thank you to all who have completed the Personal Development online form. These need to be completed by this Friday please.
English: In our first unit, we are learning about procedure and will be reading the wonderful text called ‘Grandpa and Thomas’ written by Pamela Allen; learning how to follow and how to write a sequence of steps. NB: By week 3, we ask that all students bring in one large potato (washed) so that they can complete their assessment task of How to make a Potato Person – from the beautiful story the Potato People by Pamela Allen.
History: Our unit this Term is called ‘How Time Flies’. Students will be given opportunities to explore how changes occur over time in relation to themselves. They will describe personal and family events that have significance. They will sequence event in order, using everyday terms about the passing of time. Students will anticipate near future events such as personal milestones and seasons. By end of Week 4, we ask that students bring in 4 photos of themselves from birth to the present to create a timeline of their life – events could be from a birthday, loss of first tooth, first walk, baptism, significant holiday they consider memorable. Send in photos that are copies please as they will be cut to fit on their timeline – no professional photos or photos too large. Photocopy versions are okay. Please talk to your child about what’s happening in each of their photos – notes can be written on the back or on a piece of paper. This will be an assessment piece of work.
Religion: This Term, our focus will be on Mary and why She is important. To make connections with history, we will create a class timeline of events based on stories ready throughout Mary’s Life.
Thanks for reading!
Jen and Ange
Year 2
Welcome to Term 4! What an exciting term we have ahead! In Science we are exploring the life cycles of different living things. We are currently enjoying looking after and observing our mealworms and silkworms. They certainly eat a lot and grow very quickly. Our silkworms spun their cocoons over the holidays and this week we were delighted to discover some fluffy moths. They are very cute! We have been watching them and hoping that they will mate so that we can have some eggs for the next cycle. Over the next few weeks we will also see some amazing changes to our meal worms, as they go through the different stages of their life cycle. We are not sure what animal they will become, but we have had some interesting suggestions. (a moth, a cockroach, a butterfly, a bee, a wasp, a centipede)
In Hass we are learning about the life of Angela Merici. She is an Italian Saint who was born in 1474, and who started the Ursuline order of nuns who were the founding sisters of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Ursula’s. We will learn about her very interesting life, and gain understanding of how we can bring her message to Our Lady of Lourdes.
In English we are exploring persuasive writing, learning how to express our opinions and of how to structure our arguments.
In Maths we are looking at how to flip, slide and turn a shape. Next week we will be revising fact families where we relate addition facts to their corresponding subtraction facts.
Could every child bring in a shoebox please? We would love lids as well but not essential.
Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns!
Dennielle, Allyson, Sarah, Aleisha and Megan
Year 3
Welcome back – we have had a great start to Term 4! This week, we welcome Miss O’Shea who is doing her teaching placement in 3G. In English this term, we are looking at procedural texts and are enjoying following procedures and looking at the language used. In HASS, we have been finding out about some of Australia’s neighbouring countries and are investigating heat energy in Science. We would appreciate any donations of styrofoam (e.g. cooler boxes) and small cardboard boxes for an art activity.
An email has been sent home with a link to a form regarding personal development lessons and the Healthy Harold van. If you have not completed the form, could you please do this as soon as possible.
A reminder that sports uniform is to be worn on Wednesdays and Fridays, 3G and 3M borrow from the library on Wednesdays and 3GM on Thursdays. Homework is due each Wednesday. Please bring hats and water bottles every day.
Please remember we have a special “Wear Red for Daniel” Day on Friday 29th October – we ask you to bring a gold coin donation for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. We will have some special activities to do on that day – so please make sure your red clothes are sun safe and suitable for walking.
Have a great week ?
Angela, Sarah, Michelle and Janice
Year 4
Welcome back to the busyness of Term 4! Week 1 started with a battery of standardised testing; many, many children have shown wonderful improvements over the year. This term in English, we will study persuasive text and in Science/HASS we study sustainability and properties of materials. Forming an opinion on how we care for our environment both here, at home and in our world in general will be a focus for discussion. As Lourdes Learners we are called to be Global Citizens and as Christians we are called to care for our common home.
Homework has been sent home as a booklet this term. It is to be returned each Tuesday. Most children are finding that by doing a little each night, it is easily managed. Please complete the online forms for Personal Development and Bicycle Safety. In class we give reminders to those whose forms have not been completed. If you have any questions, please feel free to email your child’s teacher. Please remember we have a special “Wear Red for Daniel” Day on Friday 29th October – we ask you to bring a gold coin donation for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
Here’s to a fast moving and productive term!
Year 4 Teachers.
Suzanne, Toni and Garry
Year 5
The final term of the school year is upon us. It is hard to believe that at the end of this term your students will be the leaders of our school and in their final year of primary school. We are enjoying our new classroom spaces and have adjusted well to our new arrangements. We will continue to discuss and encourage students to demonstrate persistence, resilience, and patience for the remainder of the school year. Just a reminder for 5F students and parents to enter via the doorway closest to the parish. Please avoid coming through the front office door.
As with every other term, it will be jammed pack full of events:
- English - we will be completing reviews, with focus on the authors point of view using the metalanguage in the text. We will be looking at perspectives, including that of other cultures, religions, and world events.
- Maths - students will complete 4 impact cycles: Impact 1 -equivalent number sentences (inverse operations); Impact 2 - patterns with fractions, decimals, whole numbers; Impact 3 - units of measurement and Impact 4 - rotational symmetry. We will continue to reinforce strategies and importance of mental math facts.
- Religion - students will focus on the inquiry question ‘How can prayer guide me in my life?’. During this unit students will analyse information from a variety of texts, including features of the Gospel texts to show how the Gospel writers shaped their Gospels for communities. Using the psalms, meditations, and prayers of the rosary the students would develop a sense of personal and communal prayer and worship. Students were given gifts of rosary beads as we learn about the rosary. These will go home with students at the end of term. Students will also look at other forms of prayer.
- Science – we will be conducting 2 science units. In unit 1: Seeing the Light, students will explore observable phenomena associated with light and begin to recognise that phenomena have sets of characteristic behaviours. They will explore the transfer of light and understand that light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected, and refracted. In unit 2: Matter Matters, students investigate the behaviour of gases and relate it to the properties of gases. They plan and perform an experiment to compare the viscosity of liquids, considering and controlling variables to ensure the experiment is a fair test. Finally, students investigate the effect of heating and cooling matter, using their practical observations of gases to make inferences for liquids and solids.
Well done to all students on completing their PAT testing in week 1. Your teachers are incredibly proud of your hard work, determination and level of resilience when calling upon your taught strategies to set yourself up for success.
Sport starts this Friday. Please ensure students have all necessary items (Hockey has mouth guards and shin pads. AFL has a mouth guard. Touch has the option of bringing football boots to put on at the field). Cricket, students need an abdominal protective box. A school cricket kit with bats, pads, helmets etc. will be provided but protective boxes will not be provided and must be worn when batting and wicket keeping. Students are encouraged to bring all their items (hats, water bottle, asthma puffers if needed) in a draw string Lourdes bag.
- Homework will not commence until Week 4 due to PAT testing and camp.
- Students are reminded to bring their library bags on the day their class is scheduled to visit the Library.
- Year 5 camp is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 3. Please read the points below to ensure your child is ready for camp-
CAMP - Monday 18th October - Wednesday 20th October
Camp will soon be here and we are so excited. Here are a few important details.
- Departure: Monday 18th October arrive @ 6.30am and meet at undercover eating area near old classrooms. Bus will depart promptly at 7am - if your child is not present at departure time, it will be the parents responsibility to provide transportation to camp
- All medication to be handed to Mrs McKay - medication to be in a clear zip lock bag, be labelled with students name and dosage
- Students will require Morning Tea - please pack a nutritious and substantial Morning Tea (they always seem to be hungry)
- We suggest students have a small backpack to take on the bus that has a water bottle, morning tea, reading book, small pencil case and small notepad (for writing/drawing)
- Reminder that there is no electronics (eg. phones, tablets, fitbits etc.) and no watches (even if they are waterproof) - they will be confiscated
- No lollies!
- Arrival back to OLOL: Wednesday 20th October - 3.45pm - we will provide updated arrival times via the Year 5 Facebook page.
Tim, Jess and Emily
Year 6
Welcome back to what promises to be the fastest term in history! Our week at Yeppoon last week was perfect – enthusiastic students, beautiful weather, a chance to step out of our comfort zone and an opportunity to get to know ourselves and our peers even better. Huge thank you to Mr Golightly for his organisation and for leading our camp. It was also great to have Mrs Salisbury join us – she loves school camps and like always shared her positivity and support for our students.
Important dates and information for this term include the following:
Week 3: Personal Development/Student Safety classes (note to be forwarded home with more details)
Wear Red for Daniel Day: Friday 29th October (please note change of date from calendar)
Friday Sport: Begins this week – students have chosen: Boys – touch football, tennis or cricket. Girls: Hockey, tennis, AFL or cricket. Students have been provided with team uniforms for touch and AFL. All other sports require students to wear their polo shirt.
Graduation Assembly and Mass: Tuesday 30th NOVEMBER. Assembly location to be advised. Mass – 6.30pm in the Church (Formal summer uniforms to be worn to both celebrations – no ballgowns or suits required)
Swimming Carnival: Wednesday 1st December – all students are required to attend this event and should not exclude themselves from this carnival due to weather conditions or a dislike of swimming.
First Day Photos: Thanks to those families who handed in their photos before the end of last term. These photos have been scanned and are ready to go! It would be appreciated if photos could be forwarded to Shauna.Coren@twb.catholic.edu.au Kylie.McKenzie@twb.catholic.edu.au or Larry.Lee@twb.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.
Term 4 Units: This term we will continue to explore all areas of Mathematics, a variety of song lyrics in English, as well as grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading groups, a unit entitled “Jewish High Holy Days” in Religion, Microorganisms, Animals and Medicine in Science and Australia’s Relationship with the Rest of the World (Global Citizenship) in HASS. We will continue our Health unit from Term 3 entitled “Transitioning”.
Larry, Kylie and Shauna
German
During the next two weeks we will be looking at seasons, months, weekdays and weather. We will write a short conversation about these.
Christine Fisher
During weeks 2, 3 and 4 the Life Education and 'Healthy Harold' will visit our school. During this time students will participate in a fun and interactive program suited to the curriculum. The programs relate to Health and Wellbeing and will teach and encourage students how to live a safer, smarter life. The usual cost for this visit is $10. The school has subsidised 50% of the cost, resulting in a charge of $5 to your Term 4 school fee account.
Welcome back to Term 4. We are looking forward to another busy term ahead with lots happening and plenty of NEW books to discover.
New Arrivals
To See more or to place a RESERVATION go to the Library Catalogue: https://au.accessit.online/ORL13/
Independent Reading
Taking time each day to read is important for learners. There is plenty of evidence to support the importance of reading for enjoyment. Not only is it enjoyable once you find the genre or author you love, it also helps students academic growth. Read with your children and in front of them so they too can learn the value of reading.
Important Dates
Week 6 Last week of Borrowing for Term 4.
Week 7 Library Stocktake Begins
ALL Library Loans are due back by Friday 19th November
OVERDUE OR LOST items will be charged to school accounts
Library Borrowing Days
Monday: 2D // 2Tj // 1B
Tuesday: 5F // 1M
Wednesday: 3M // 3G // 4G // Prep W // Prep H
Thursday: 3GM // 5P // 5M // 6L
Friday: 6M // 6C // 4B
Please ensure your child/ren return their books each week on their Library day. If your child/ren are absent or away we are open at both lunch breaks for loan renewals or browsing and borrowing.
Book Club
Issue 7 brochures have been handed out. Orders are due OCTOBER 18. Please order via LOOP.
Happy Reading!
Danielle and Gael.
Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte
With Building works underway, there is no tuckshop this term. We may look at a few special food days- details to come.
Thanks for your understanding as the school goes through these changes.
Tegan
Wow, what a Spring!!! I'm sure you have all heard by now that OLOL had the enormous honour of winning 'Best School Garden', in this year's Carnival of Flowers competition. What an amazing thrill. However, in the words of our wonderful principal, "You're not a winner unless you get 'back-to- back wins.... Pressure's on!!!
Even more thrilling though, is that our Garden Crew are now selling edible flowers to 'Cakehouse by Katrina' in Withcott, and their fresh flowers to 'Sage and Butler Neighbourhood Cafe' in Margaret Street, and 'The Enchanted Florist' in Newtown, (pictured). We thank them so much for their support.
The boys are also selling posies of dried flowers, available anytime, for $5. What a bargain, and a perfect little gift for a neighbour or friend. Just leave a request on the OLOL memo page.
We have had so many children wanting to join the Garden Club, that Mrs Sarah Kelly and I are now offering gardening sessions at lunch times, so that any budding young gardeners of the future can get their fingers in the dirt. We are more than happy to share our passion, so if your children are interested, please encourage them to come along.
In this fast-paced world that we now live in, gardening can be just the thing that we need.
Jo
TCKC - Outside School Hours Care
Vacation care – Spring in the park
Over the school holidays the Our Lady of Lourdes Outside School Hours Care visited Sacred Heart OSHC. We met new friends and had many new adventures. We had lots of fun with bike days, park visits, balloon twisting and so much more! While the spring holidays have now past we are looking towards the Christmas holidays and are on the hunt for some ideas from our school community…. If you know of any awesome activities our OLOL group can do over this period, please come and have a chat to Miss Alannah or Miss Mackenzie. We are looking for way and ideas tot to bring the school community into our OSHC.
Before and After School Care
We are beginning a new school term and are ready to make this the most fun yet! As you may know we are now located in the Hall sharing with the wonderful Grade 6 classes. While our space might be smaller, we are still having a lot of fun. We are venturing outside and creating a space where we can all be creative and have a whole lot of fun.
OSHC Staff
Our OSHC is on the look out for some incredible educators to join our OSHC program. There is about 10 – 20 hours on offer throughout the school term, and even more over the school holidays. You can be a fully qualified person or unqualified but must be willing to obtain a qualification (this includes a student in grade 10 or higher willing to complete a traineeship). If you think you know someone interested please get them to be in touch with Alannah via email: OLOCare@tckc.qld.edu.au or phone: 0429 572 021.
Let’s make this term great!
The OSHC Team
Miss Alannah & Miss Mackenzie
Little Miracles Community Kindergarten
Little Miracles is happy to be playing our part in a sustainable future for our children, with new Solar Panels installed over the holidays. We have also been very fortunate to use our Fundraising Levy from the past few years to lay new softfall in the playground area. Current and future families will get the benefit of these two projects for many years to come, and that's what being a community Kindy is all about.
We are very proud to say that our 2 Kindy groups for 2022 are full. We are now forming a waiting list for a 3rd group of Kindy. We still have some positions available in our Junior Kindy Group, but these are limited. If you have not already enrolled or you know of someone, please contact us ASAP at little.miracles@bigpond.com
Premier QLD is a family owned and run business – formerly Stonestreets Coaches, we continue to offer charter services for schools, businesses, private customers, community and sporting groups and would love to speak with you if you have the desire to travel. We do local and charter transfers for various Sporting events, Weddings, Family Reunions, Theatre Performances, Shopping trips, Winery Tours, long distance tours and can tailor a charter suit to your specific requirements.