Dear Parents and Carers

It was wonderful to be greeted with warm smiles around school after a stint away travelling with my Mum and Aunty around Europe. Travelling often helps one gain different perspectives. It certainly made me admire the tremendous skillset of people who built impressive civilizations with awe-inspiring architecture centuries ago without the technology we have today. The innovation and ability to create such marvels is mesmerising. And whilst it is amazing to see and experience different food, landscapes, and cultures, it is great to call Australia home and come back to a welcoming school environment. 

A big thank you to Mrs Janice Moore for deputising in my absence. Also, to Mr Tim Franzmann and Mrs Emily McKay for their support of Janice as a leadership team, and to all our staff who got on with what they do best – educating our Lourdes Learners. The team approach to supporting one another for the benefit of our students is noticeable and valued by all.  

Culture and Innovation 

Lourdes has always had a wonderful culture and a strong reputation. Recently, our staff have been delving into how we maintain and strengthen this culture despite the myriad of changes we have encountered over recent years and which are yet to come. A strong culture is paramount to a successful organization, including schools.  

Not surprisingly, when I’ve asked parents or staff about what they think it is that makes Lourdes Lourdes, or how they define the ‘The Lourdes Way’, or what it means to ‘Lourdise’ a staff member or student, there are common responses. Some of the attributes that are valued include our Welcoming Community, Respectful Relationships, Service to Others (Serviam), Engaged Students who learn and grow each day, Clear Communication, and a Supportive Environment.

Recently, a former Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes and current Senior Education Leader, Paul Murphy, wrote an interesting article for the staff of Toowoomba Catholic Schools on Innovation. Innovation is prevalent in many various role titles or role descriptions is obvious nowadays, especially in education. Paul likened the definition of innovation to elements that John Bertrand, skipper of the yacht, Australia II, identified after winning the America’s Cup race. The elements for innovation include:  

• The intellectual power of people working together – to get one plus one to equal three, and to create magic. 
• Building a culture of trust built around integrity, honesty, transparency of communication, respect for each other and having fun. 
• Having not only knowledge and skills but also creativity - which in this case was Ben Lexcen who designed the winged keel. 
• Being team-orientated and empowering people through trust to build a high-performance group. 

For innovation to flourish, there needs to be processes and systems in place, plus the psychological safety for each person to feel they can create, contribute, take risks, fail and learn from failure, have fun, and work together to benefit the individual and the group. This is what we aim for at Lourdes. When we have a strong culture with positive relationships and connections with our students and each other, there is an openness to fail-safe and innovate.

At OLOL, we say Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think. When we think of ourselves as learners and citizens who can make a difference in our world, we strive to be that better person.  

Thank You 

To sustain our strong culture, our P&F members have always played a huge role in organising wonderful events that bring our community together. One such recent event, which I unfortunately missed, was Lourdes on the Lawn. A huge thank you to Mandy Ryan and Jodie Lobwein, along with the myriad of helpers who organised and made this popular annual event a success. I heard it was a lovely day with great weather, melodic tunes, and a community spirit.  

I wish to thank our P&F members for supporting and organising the purchase of two new BBQs in time for school events, one purchase in time for our Fathers’ Day brekky last term and another one in time for our tuckshop launch this Friday.  

Don’t forget to contact the office if you are able to volunteer any time on a Friday to help in the tuckshop. 

This Friday is also Day for Daniel where Lourdes's parents who are police officers, including Mr Steve Denny and Mrs Ingrid Thurn, will come and speak to all our students about the importance of keeping safe. Thank you for your important work in our community.

Stop, Drop & Go 

Thank you for everyone’s cooperation in quickly adjusting to the new routine of an 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. school day for all students and using two Stop Drop Go zones. Just a reminder that for the 3:00 p.m. pick-up, it is most helpful if you delay your arrival until 3:10 p.m. This allows time for the kids to get to the pick-up zone and be ready for when you arrive. To ease the congestion on the corner of Holberton St and Ascot St, you are now able to turn right into the Church Stop Drop Go from Goodwood St.  

2024 Classes 

The process of organising staff for 2024 is a work in progress. As a result, I am unable to confirm who will be teaching which class in 2024. Teachers are currently working on the make-up of 2024 classes. Our Learning Support Teachers will also provide any necessary input. All class lists will then be cross-checked by the leadership team prior to families being notified. Families will be informed sometime during the last week of school. If you have any requests regarding your child’s class placement, please email me and/ or your child’s teacher by Friday 10th November. I cannot provide any guarantees but all requests will be given due consideration.   

World Teachers’ Day 

This Friday is World Teachers Day. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous work of our teachers here at Lourdes. Their efforts certainly do make a difference. We recognise the wonderful contribution they make to each student they encounter.

I’m sure everyone can appreciate that teaching can be draining - mentally, emotionally, and physically - but it is also hugely rewarding. Especially when we think about how the combined efforts create learners and global citizens who can make a positive difference in this world. We have countless examples of past students and families who still talk so highly of Lourdes, particularly our teachers. On behalf of our Our Lady of Lourdes School and Parish community, we say Thank You. 

2024 Enrolments 

As we have often said, the best promoters and marketers of our great school are our parents. The ongoing support, praise, and recommendations go a long way to sustain a healthy level of student enrollment. If you know of anyone who is thinking of enrolling their children here at OLOL in Prep – Year 6, please let them know to contact the school as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

Upcoming Dates

Have a great week... Miranda

Ms Miranda Murray
Acting Principal

Wow! It is Week 4 already – our Year 6 students are having a wonderful time on Camp. We are sure to hear some great stories on their return!

Please note there is no assembly tomorrow.

This Friday (27/10) we have our “Red Day for Daniel”. We have our Safety Talk, followed by our Walk in Red around Newtown Park then morning tea back at school together. The Year 1-5 children will learn important messages about ways to keep themselves safe and we will raise some money to donate to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to help them continue their good work. The Prep children have received a separate talk earlier this week.

The children need to bring a gold coin to donate, wear something sun safe red, make sure they have a hat and a water bottle.

The plan for the day is:                 

9:00am –Safety Talk with our Police family in the Hall

9:30am – Walk the block to Newtown Park and back

10:30am– Morning tea at school  - special cupcakes will be provided.

Please note these times are approximate and we will be reliant on fine weather for this to occur. Current forecast is for a cooler, hopefully fine day. Fingers crossed!

Following our walk, we have the Launch of our Tuckshop starting up again.

We welcome Mrs Kerry Royal as our Tuckshop Convenor.

She has some volunteers to help – but is still looking for more volunteers for subsequent Fridays.

If you are available, please contact Hazel or Carla so we can add you to the Volunteer list.

Tuckshop hours are 8:30am – 2:30pm  - but helpers throughout the day are very welcome.

This Friday we will have free cupcake for Morning Tea and a Sausage Sizzle for Lunch. No need to order.

Please ensure the children have their water bottle.

We thank our OLOL P & F for sponsoring the Launch of our Tuckshop.

It is also World Teachers Day on Friday 27^th October – remember to wish your teacher a happy day!

Next Wednesday (1st November) the Year 3- 6 children will celebrate “All Saints Day” with the Parish in the OLOL Church at 10 am. All Saints Day is a day when we remember the Holy Men and Women of the Church who have been shining examples of following in the footsteps of Jesus. All are welcome to come and pray with us.

November is the month of our Mini Vinnie Christmas Appeal – we are collecting non-perishable groceries, toiletries, Christmas treats and if you wish - gift cards for our community’s needy families at Christmas time. Please send your grocery items and gift card donations to your child’s classroom. Gift cards can come from grocery stores, toy stores or pharmacies. The OLOL St Vincent De Paul Chapter does appreciate our school’s donations and support. Donations will be given to our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter after our End of Year Mass on December 1.

Year 3 are preparing a Remembrance Day prayer on Thursday 9th November at our 2:00pm Assembly. Australians observe one minute's silence at 11:00am on 11th of November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts. All are welcome to come and commemorate this special date at 2:00pm.

We have our school volunteer's morning tea on Tuesday 14^th November at 9:30am in the staff room. Those who have helped during the school year are invited to attend. Our reading, fitness, excursion supervisors, BBQ cookers, P and F workers…. are all welcome. An invitation was emailed home – Please RSVP by Wednesday 8^th November.

The Prep to Year 5 classes are preparing for Daytime Christmas Concerts with their Drama and Music Specialists.

The Year 3 to 5 Concert is on Monday 20^th November at 11:30am in the School Hall 

Prep to Year 2 will have their concert in the hall on Monday 27^th November at 2:00pm.

Our Music and Drama specialists Mrs Rosier and Mrs Holzheimer have asked students to organise their costume for the performance. Each class will contribute a song and dance to help celebrate this special event in our calendar. To help our students look great on stage we ask that each class wear a different coloured (preferably plain) T-shirt along with school sport shorts, sport socks and sport shoes.

Classroom teachers will provide students with some tinsel just before going on stage to help add a bit more colour and interest!

Please see below for your child's T-shirt colour requirement:

The Year 6’s will share their final Assembly at 12:00 noon on Thursday 23^rd November in the school hall.

The Year 6 Graduation will then be in the OLOL Church at 6:30pm on Tuesday 28^th November. 

The End of Year Mass is on Friday 1st December at 12:00 noon.

Dates for Term 4 Diary 

Please note there are Thursday assemblies in Week 6, 7 and 8.

Friday 27^th October – Red Day for Daniel Walk  - Launch of our Tuckshop with a free cupcake and sausage sizzle for Year 1-5  - World Teachers Day

Wednesday 1^st November – All Saints Day 10 am OLOL Church

Thursday 9^th November – Remembrance Day Prayer 2:00pm

Tuesday 14^th November – Volunteers Morning Tea 10:00am

Wednesday 15^th November – Prep Orientation 8:30am

Monday 20^th  November – Year 3 - 5 Christmas Concert 11:30am OLOL Hall

Thursday 23^rd November – Year 6 Final Assembly 12:00 noon OLOL Hall

Monday 27^th  November – Prep – 2 Christmas Concert 2:00pm OLOL Hall

Tuesday 28^th November –Year 6 Graduation 6:30pm – OLOL Church 

Friday 1^st December – End of Year Mass 12:00 noon OLOL Hall

It is a busy six weeks ahead!

Have a wonderful week. 

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)

Prep

The Land of Fairy Tales is progressing well. All the detectives are learning to ask questions and look for clues - so far, no mean giant or big bad wolf! All detectives have received an invitation to a banquet and should have picked their character and be practising their speech at home.

Our Health Weeks during week 3 and 4 were very informative and involved lots of stories, role play and conversations. Thanks to our special guests - police officers, ambulance, and nurse for talking to the children. You are the Boss of your Body!

We have settled into routine in our temporary classrooms - please reinforce the Lourdes Way at home and parents are reminded to wait off the veranda at 3pm pick up.

Cheers,

Melita, Liz and Loretta    

Year 1

What an amazing group of learners we have in Year One. The children have settled into the routines of the classroom displaying growing independence and responsibility. Last week, we commenced our Health and Well-being activities and the children participated with a sense of maturity. They have learnt about the 3Rs: Recognise, React and Report. The children listened carefully to Detective Denny and answered his questions. We thank him for his time. They enjoyed their session with Healthy Harold and discussed friendship and feelings.

Last week, in Maths we learnt our last calculation strategy: bridging through ten. The children now know some strategies to help them solve addition and subtraction problems using mental maths. Please continue to practice doubles, near doubles, rainbow facts and counting forwards and backwards in ones at home to build automaticity.

On Monday, November 6^th the children will be involved in a number of science activities investigating force using push and pull. They are allowed to come dressed as Scientists for the day. Please remember that the children will be still participating in their PE classes that day.

Have a great week.

Laura, Jenny and Dennielle             

Year 2

Welcome to Week 4! While we continue to be ultra busy with our learning, we are having fun exploring sound in Science and using the Beebots and Scratch Junior to create algorithms in Technology. Our persuasive writing skills are coming along as we learn to use strong modality words to enhance our opinions. In Religion, we have been discussing the most effective ways to say sorry and forgive. Reading testing has commenced and will continue this week.

On Friday 27^th October, we will participate in the ‘Day for Daniel’ - a day when we remember the special messages, reminders, and advice of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Foundation. Students are asked to wear sun-safe red clothing and bring a gold coin donation for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. All students meet in the hall at 9 am for a talk from Detective Steve Denny (father to school captain, Michael Denny) and discuss ways to keep ourselves safe. After the talk, we will all walk to Newtown Park and back to school to join for MT.

Thanks to Mrs Moore, we have a basket in our classrooms waiting to be filled with donations of non-perishable grocery and Christmas items to make up hampers for our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter eg. cans of vegetables, soup, spaghetti, pasta, rice, toiletries – toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant, special Christmas treats – chips, nuts, toys... Remember to check use-by dates. If you wish to donate a gift card, that is also an option. This is a way for us to support those less fortunate than ourselves, to enjoy a special Christmas.

If you haven’t already, please check the Parent Portal for any outstanding permission slips, especially for our upcoming excursion to the cinemas in week 9!

Have a wonderful week!

Sarah, Ange B and Ange G         

Year 3

Welcome to Week 4! It is crazy to think we are already halfway through our final Term of Year 3! It has been a pleasure getting stuck into our new units of learning. It is clear our Year 3s are stepping up and are ready for Year 4 which is just around the corner for them.

What’s on in Year 3…

• Day for Daniel: This Friday (27^th of October) is Day for Daniel. Students have been asked to wear red and bring a gold coin donation to go towards the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. Students will have a safety talk from Detective Steve Denny, and afterwards walk to Newtown Park and back.
• Tuckshop Launch: This Friday (27^th of October) is the launch of the OLOL Tuckshop. To celebrate, there will be a free sausage sizzle and cupcake for Year 1 – 5. Please inform your students’ classroom teacher if your child has any dietary requirements.
• All Saint’s Day Mass: All are welcome to join together in our OLOL Church at 10am on Wednesday 1^st of November for All Saint’s Day Mass.
• Remembrance Day Assembly: Year 3 are leading our Week 6 Assembly on the 9^th of November at 2pm in the Hall. This Assembly will be commemorating Remembrance Day. All are welcome to attend.
• Christmas Concert: The Senior Christmas Concert (Years 3 – 5) is on the 20^th of November from 11:30am – 12:30pm in the OLOL Hall. All are welcome to come to our Christmas celebration! On the day, Year 3 students have been asked to please wear a yellow or gold T-shirt, school sport shorts/skorts, sport socks, and sport shoes.
• Healthy Harold Visit: Students thoroughly enjoyed the interactive and engaging activities from our Healthy Harold visit last week. Please see attached photos.
• Swimming Carnival: Our OLOL Swimming Carnival is on the 28^th of December. Please check the Sentral Parent Portal App for more information and nominations.
• Maths: In Maths, we are learning to identify, order, and compare angles (acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles). Throughout the Term, we will continue to consolidate stacking addition and subtraction problems with regrouping.
• English: This term in English, we are learning about Persuasive writing for our first cycle of learning. We have been learning about Fact and Opinion and the importance of understanding the difference between these when we are working with persuasive writing. Expanding on this we will be using modality words in our writing. These words help us to make our point in writing persuasively. To finalise our unit of work in the coming weeks, we will be writing a letter to Ms Murray to try and persuade her to allow us to get a Native Bee Hive in the school!
• Science: In Science this term, we are continuing to learn about the States of Matter. We are investigating what Solids, Liquids and Gases are and how we can change the states of matter.
• HASS: In the coming weeks, students will learn about how communities change, how people are involved in communities, and landmarks of our local Toowoomba community.

Thanks for reading!

Sarah, Demi, Lisa, Megan and Garry        

Year 4

This week has seen the last of our classes complete their Bicycle Safety courses. Thanks to Mick Betros for sharing with us his amazing passion for keeping kids safe on the roads.

Combined classes were also held last week, as part of our Personal Development and Safety. Students were encouraged to talk at home about the discussions and information spoken about at school. If you need any further clarification, please see your child’s class teacher. 

In all classes, children are engaged in learning about persuasive text – formalising arguments using the Lawyer Paragraph, which we study using Writer’s Toolbox. Our  HASS focus is on rules and laws within our Local government. Students will be using their creativity to design a new town, where they are required to think about the rules and laws that govern the town and how they will affect the people and environment.

A focus in Maths this term is balancing equations, multiplication and division algorithms, and exploring shape and probability.  

Every year our beautiful school likes to support the St Vincents De Paul Grocery Hampers, by contributing a basket full of groceries from each class.  We ask that all students provide at least one non-perishable grocery item for our classroom basket.  We are so blessed in our lives, and it is always nice to give back to our community. Each class has a basket waiting for our goodies. 

Don’t forget to wear red on Friday for our Day for Daniel event!  Students are asked to contribute a gold coin donation. 

Keep up the great work with homework, expecting the best of your child, as they prepare for the demands of Year Five. 

Suzanne, Aleisha, Jessica and Danielle

Year 5

We have now settled back into the classroom after our fantastic Tallebudgera camp experience. It’s hard to believe that we have just over 5 weeks left of the school year!

Important dates

27 October – Day for Daniel Red Walk (wear red and gold coin)

1 November – All Saints Day Mass at 10:00am

9 November – Remembrance Day Assembly at 2:00pm

16 November – Assembly led by 5C at 2:00pm

23 November – Final assembly at 2:00pm

29 November – OLOL Swimming Carnival

1 December – End of Year Mass at 12:00 noon 

Updates from the classroom: 

Personal Development Lessons - Last week, we conducted our personal development lessons. The students were very mature during our discussions and asked relevant questions. We have encouraged them to touch base with you on any other questions they may have. We have stressed that puberty is a normal part of growing up and that it is important to understand the changes our bodies go through.

English – Students continue to look at the point of view portrayed by authors and then writing summaries and recommendations about pages from a given book examined.

Maths – Students concluded the grid coordinate system impact cycle this week. Our next impact cycle covers time, where students compare 12- and 24-hour time systems and solve practical problems involving the conversion between them.

Science - The students have begun exploring light and classifying natural and artificial light sources. The students carried out an experiment with torches to examine how light travels, and how shadows are created when light is blocked by an object. Students are also preparing to carry out an interesting experiment using a plastic bottle and a laser pointer, proving that light can bend and follow a stream of water.

HASS - Democracy is our central focus this term. We started touching on where democracy began in Australia when we learnt about the Eureka Stockade. Students have begun to gain an understanding of the definition of democracy, its key features and decision-making processes.

Religion - In Religion students are exploring the origins of the Eucharist to develop their understanding of the significance of this ritual. Through research, discussions and reflections, students are able to communicate and describe their understanding of how the faith of a community of believers is strengthened through the experience of Eucharist.

School and House Captain Nominations

Last Friday, teachers discussed in depth attributes of leaders and the process for nominating themselves as a leadership candidate. Students wanting to nominate for 2024 School Captain are required to write an email or hardcopy letter to Ms. Murray, outlining their suitability for the role. Students wanting to nominate for either School Captain or House Captain positions are required to prepare a speech. School Captain speeches are to be no longer than 1.5 - 2 minutes long, and Sports captains 1 – 1.5 mins, outlining their suitably for the role, that will be delivered to the Years 3 to 6 cohorts, teachers, and leadership on the 21st of November.

Day for Daniel Red Walk

This Friday, we are commemorating Day for Daniel. Students are invited to wear red and bring along a gold coin donation. Weather permitting, we will be walking down to Newtown Park.

Christmas Concert

Our Lady of Lourdes will be Christmas with 2 Christmas carols concerts in 2023 with the Senior 3-6 Carols in the Hall on Monday 20th November at 11.30am. Each class will contribute a song and dance to help celebrate this special event in our calendar. To help our students look great on stage we ask that each class wear a different coloured (preferably plain) T-shirt along with school sport shorts, sport socks and sport shoes.  5C – Red, 5M – White and 5P Green. We look forward to seeing our family members there, to see all the hard work we have been putting in.

Christmas Donations

At assembly recently, Mrs Moore handed out baskets in preparation for our Christmas appeal. While out shopping, it would be greatly appreciated if you could add an extra item to ensure everyone in our community can enjoy Christmas. Any non-perishable items would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading,

Jess, Emily and Amy    

Year 6

Greetings from Yeppoon this week!

Date Claimers:

Week 4: Camp 

Week 5: Wednesday 1 November – All Saint’s Mass 10am  

Week 6: Thursday 9 November – Remembrance Day Assembly – to be led this year by Year Three (change from Year Six)

Week 8: Thursday 23rd November – final assembly 12 noon 

Week 9: Monday 27^th November – Fun Day: Milne Bay for swim and pizza at Newtown Park  

Tuesday 28^th Year 6 – Graduation Mass November 6.30pm  

Wednesday 29^th December – Swimming Carnival  

Friday 1st December – Last day of school 

Congratulations:

Mathematics:

Congratulations to our fantastic Mathematicians who attended the regional finals of the QAMT Maths Competition last Tuesday evening. Harry, Cody, ‘Alani and Noah, with the help of two Yr. 5 students, represented our school with distinction. Cody and Harry’s team placed second by half a point and ‘Alani and Noah’s team placed third. At the end of the competition Cody’s team was equal first until Cody noticed a discrepancy in the marking and a half point was allocated to the eventual winners Middle Ridge SS who will now attend the State finals. Great sportsmanship and integrity Cody.

Touch football:

Our mixed Year 5 and 6 team won five games and drew a game at the Swans Primary Schools competition in Dalby last weekend. This enabled them to progress to the grand final against Mary Mackillop and in a great game in very hot conditions won 4-2. Your sportsmanship and persistence were noted by many in attendance. Thank you, Miss Packer, and Mrs. Burchardt for managing and coaching our team.

Kylie, Shauna, and Steve

Visual Arts

Prep: The Preps have continued to be fairy tale detectives. Each week in art they are given clues as to which fairy tale will be our focus. Last week was “Jack in the Beanstalk”. This week was “The Princess in the Pea”. It has been a lot of fun incorporating their learnings from class to Art.

Year 1: The Year 1’s have completed their cat Statues and have begun work on a Jack o Lantern picture. Jack o Lanterns are put in people's houses to scare things away. We have discussed Halloween from the Christian point of view and know that as children of God we never have to be fearful of scary images we see at Halloween.

Year 2: As artists we must present our work for presentation. This week the students mounted their own art with a label, they tried hard to glue it evenly. We then began a face collage based on the works of Pablo Picasso.

Year 3: Year 3’s have completed their Forest Owl and have had a go at mounting it ready for presentation. They have now begun work on a sunset moon, blending colours to create a glowing effect. This week they will draw and glue pictures to their background.

Year 4: The Year 4’s are also taking charge of mounting their artwork to share and display in their class. They have begun work on a picture of a sugar skull. Sugar skulls are a common sight in Mexican celebrations in the day of the dead.

Calavera, or sugar skulls, were first seen in the 17th century in a traditional fashion. They were created to honor the dead on Día de los Muertos, the "Day of the Dead," and have roots in Aztec, Mayan, and Toltec cultural celebrations. The sugar skulls were originally created as gifts, to be eaten by children. 

Mrs. Simmons

Italian

This week we have incorporated several games to revise and learn new words. The students had fun playing celebrity heads with uno cards to revise colours and numbers. We sang the Hokey Pokey in Italian to help us to learn different body parts.

Signora Simmons

Upcoming Dates

Friday Sport Jerseys

There are still a number of jerseys outstanding. With the exception of the Basketball Shirts and All Schools Touch Shirts, all other OLOL sports jerseys, shorts, socks, skirts, and shirts are now due back. Please return them to Mrs. Wigan’s Office. If this are not returned before the end of the school term they will be charged to your school fee account.

Grade 4 Gala Day – Netball

During Week 9 of this term the Grade 4 students will attend the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Netball Gala Day. This is a social carnival aimed at providing students with a further opportunity to participate in team sport.

Permission messages will be sent out – please make sure you have given permission via the Sentral App.

Who: Grade 4

When: Tuesday 28th November 2023

Time: 8:30-1:00 pm

Where: Kearney's Spring

Cost: $7 to be charged to your school account.

What to Wear: OLOL Sports Uniform

What to Bring: Morning Tea, Lunch, Water Bottle, Hat. NO CANTEEN

Transport: students will travel to and from the venue by bus.

2023 OLOL Swimming Carnival

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO SWIM?

The Carnival is for children in Grades 3-6 ONLY.

All students in grade 3 who are born in 2015, depending on numbers, will participate in the 2014 (9 year’s) age category. However, as they are not of appropriate age, they will not be eligible for age championship points.  As with Cross Country and Track & Field, there will not be an age championship for these students, nor will records be kept.  They will simply be participating in this carnival to provide them with a valuable experience and to gain participation house points.

HOW TO NOMINATE

A Sentral Permission Form will be sent to all families with students in Grades 3-6. You will need to complete one form for each eligible child in Grade 3-6. It is expected that all children in Grades 3-6 nominate themselves for at least one event.  Less confident swimmers will be able to use a noodle or kickboard if necessary. In this case it would be best for them to nominate for the 25m Freestyle.  All nominations need to be in by Monday 20^th November.

If you have not received the email, please contact Carla in the front office to check/update your details.

A nomination confirmation note will be sent home once all nominations are in. Please make sure you check your child’s nominations carefully; no changes will be made on the day.

CARNIVAL TIMELINE

Please note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on the number of nominations in each event.

POINTS ALLOCATION

25m Events

1 point will be awarded to respective houses for each 25m swim completed.  Results from 25m events will not contribute to Age Championship points. 

50m, 100m and Individual Medley Events

The following points will be awarded to respective houses and individual age championship tallies following all 50m, 100m and Individual Medley Events:

1^st Place – 10 Points (Blue Ribbon), 2^nd Place – 6 points (Red Ribbon), 3^rd Place – 4 Points (Green Ribbon), 4^th Place – 2 Points (Yellow Ribbon) and 5^th – 10^th Place – 2 Points

Where there is more than one heat, points and ribbons will be awarded to the fastest swimmers overall.

LEGAL STROKE ACTIONS & DISQUALIFICATIONS

• In 50m and 100m events, except for the 8 years category, students will be judged and disqualified if their stroke does not meet the appropriate standard. As points gained from these events go towards age championship tallies, it is important that only legal stroke actions are awarded. 
• 8 years events and all 25m events will not be judged in this way.

For further information please refer to the following website:

https://www.swimming.org.au/Assets/Rules/Swimming-Australia-Swimming-Rules.aspx

SPECTATORS

Spectators are welcome to attend the carnival.

DONATION OF AGE CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIONS

Thank you to the Twidale Family for their generous donation of the Track & Field and Swimming carnival medallions for 2023.  Please support our local family businesses.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

In Week 2 of Term 1, 2024 (TBC), we will conduct swimming trials at the Glennie Pool to select a team to represent the school at the Catholic Swimming Carnival and West Zone Swimming Carnival.

More information regarding the school swim team will be made available later.

Gymnastics – Prep & Grade 1

During Week 9 of this term the Prep & Grade 1 students will attend Allstar Gymnastics Academy.

Permission messages will be sent out – please make sure you have given permission via the Sentral App.

Who: Prep & Grade 1

When: Thursday 30^th November 2023

Time: Grade 1 – 12:00pm & Prep – 1:00pm

Where: Allstar Gymnastics Academy

Cost: $15 to be charged to your school account.

What to Wear: OLOL Sports Uniform. Bike pants underneath skirts.

What to Bring: Drink Bottle – VERY IMPORTANT!

Transport: students will travel to and from the venue by bus.

Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au

End of Year Reminders 

Next week is the last week of borrowing for 2023. All student library loans are due back by the end of Week 6. Please let Mrs Leathart of Mrs Monte know if there are any issues with overdue books as soon as possible. This saves a lot of time and bother as the term begins to wrap up. 

Cyber Safety 

Over the last few weeks, the focus of our library lessons has been cyber/online safety. Here are some of the common themes we have been discussing across all year levels. If you get a chance, it might be a good time to revise the cyber rules at home, tech limits (how long, approved sites) and check in with your child/ren about what is happening in their online world. 

Library Catalogue 

Please bookmark the following page on your devices at home. This is a great place to find information, books and games to play. If users in Year 3 – 6 sign in using their Usernames and Passwords they can access Britannica, Click View (videos and movies) and even check what items are out on loan to them.  https://au.accessit.online/ORL13/  

Library at Lunch 

We have had so many visitors to the library over the past fortnight! It is lovely seeing lots of children each day involving themselves in a range of activities, including Chess, cars, blocks, colouring, tech-time and reading.  

New Books 

We have a variety of new books available in the library now. Drop by and check-them-out! 

New Independent Readers 

Congrats to these Lourdes Learner who have worked persistently and are now reading independently. We are so proud of each and every one of you. Enjoy your books.

Book Club 

Issue 7 orders were placed last week and we expect arrival here at school late this week. Once they arrive, we will unpack and deliver to students as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for Issue 8 catalogue coming soon – just in time for Christmas. All orders via LOOP. We are unable to accept any cash orders for student book club. 

Enjoy your books. 

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

Dear Parents,

Our Lady of Lourdes will celebrate Christmas with two Christmas Carol concerts in 2023:

Senior 3-6 Carols in the Hall on Monday 20^th November at 11.30am

Junior P-2 Carols in the Hall on Monday 27^th November at 2:00pm

Each class will contribute a song and dance to help celebrate this special event in our calendar. To help our students look great on stage we ask that each class wear a different coloured (preferably plain) T-shirt along with school sport shorts, sport socks and sport shoes. Children will be provided with some prepared tinsel just before going on stage to help add a bit more colour and interest!

Please note your child’s T-shirt colour requirement:

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Amanda and Ebony

Drama and Music Specialists