Dear Families,

We are now well into the second half of Term 4. I have been so impressed by our students’ application to their learning and showing up every day ready to learn. This time of the year can bring challenges to fatigue and engagement, and I thank you as parents/caregivers for doing what is needed at home, to ensure students attend each day.

With that in mind, it is important that over the next 4 weeks to continue to support your child to attend school and engage as best they can. At that time of the year, children may become tired or find engaging in positive relationships harder. Here are a few tips to end the term well:

• Maintain a routine in the home/s, including mealtimes together (where possible), a bedtime routine and time to play.
• Engage with your child at the end of each day reflecting on the positive things that happened at school that day.
• Maintain positive communication with the class teacher.
• If your child comes home with concerns, listen to their story and seek further clarification from the school if need be.
• Maintain a homework routine – even on the hard days.
• Spend time with your child/ren where possible- reading a book together, cooking together, feeding the animals etc. Look for those small moments of connection.

Wearing the Uniform with Pride
An important part of being a member of the Lourdes community, is wearing the school uniform with pride and the correct way.  Unfortunately, some children are beginning to wear coloured joggers with the PE uniform. Please note, that the correct shoes are white or black only. It is important that all families follow the uniform expectations, maintaining fairness and equity for all students. Please ensure your child is in the correct uniform and when purchasing for 2025, refer to our uniform guidelines. I also ask that hair colour remains a natural colour and is cut appropriately. Coloured hair, shaved hair etc is not appropriate during term time. Any students (male or female), with hair below the shoulder, need to have their hair tied up. Thank you for working with us.

Year 6 Camp
I would like to congratulate the Year 6 students for their involvement and behaviour on the recent Year 6 camp to Noosa. The students worked collaboratively at mealtimes, demonstrated courage and resilience in activities, that were outside their comfort zone, and had a great time. They arrived home safe and sound on Friday afternoon- albeit very tired. Some of our Year 6 students pushed through to represent Lourdes in the Friday night basketball competition. I am very proud of your efforts.

World Teachers’ Day
On Friday October 25, we celebrated World Teachers’ Day at school with a morning tea for our staff. I am grateful for our Lourdes teachers, who go above and beyond their role each day, to ensure our students engage in excellent learning opportunities and are supported in their friendships and social emotional learning. Thank you, teachers, for making Lourdes the community it is!

2025 Class Allocation and Teacher
Our teachers, working with the Leadership team and Learning support, are currently making the decisions for the 2025 class allocations. Families will receive communication in Week 10, notifying of your child/s class teacher for next year. We take into consideration the academic, social emotional and behavioural needs of all our students, along with the relationships that are within the cohort.

Volunteers Morning Tea
Our school is well supported by the many volunteers that help in so many aspects of Lourdes life. I am very much looking forward to thanking our volunteers at the upcoming morning tea on November 12.

Have a great fortnight everyone.

Kind regards,

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

Last week our Year Six cohort headed off to Noosa North Shore for camp. This week our Year Five cohort will head to Tallebudgerra. There is something truly magical about the camp experience. For teachers, it is an opportunity to see students in a new way, watching them thrive in an environment outside the four walls of the classroom. It is an opportunity to make memories that last a life time, and for many of our parents, I am sure you have your own experiences of Tallebudgerra camp that you can compare with your own children. But what we value most, is what these camp experiences provide for our students.  

1. Building up self-confidence 
School camps give students an opportunity to try so many new and different activities. Some activities that they may have only ever seen on television. At Noosa, mountain biking and surfing were clear favourites. Each new activity is a new challenge, a new opportunity to succeed, to learn, to overcome a fear, and even to fail a few times along the way. All within a safe environment with qualified instructors and teachers. Students walk away with a great sense of achievement when they complete new experiences and at the same time receive affirmation from instructors, teachers, and peers for what they have achieved.

2. Independence
A school camp could be the first time a child has gone away from home without a parent or family member. Students on camp must adapt and manage themselves within the camp rules, completing tasks that they may not be responsible for at home. They may have to manage their own time to ensure their teeth get brushed, and that their cabins are clean and tidy. A student has to make sure they look after their belongings they take with them to camp, and so on.

3. Building relationships and participating in community
The school camping experience is unique in that it can bring individuals together who otherwise may not have interacted together in the schoolyard. It is an opportunity for students to share a real meal together, rather than eating whilst watching television. Team camping activities also promote teamwork, where it is simply not possible to get through the activity without help from others. This is where whole groups are engaged and responsible for each other.  Promoting concern, welfare for others, and of course “mateship”. 

4. Digital Detox
Getting kids to disconnect from technology for a few days is always a win. Instead of computer games, campers are playing outdoor games or board games or real group games with real people. Camps break the cycle of dependence children may have on their devices and provide plenty of healthy and safe distractions that help them take a break from those devices.

5. Outdoor learning
A school camp is a valuable opportunity for students to get out of the classroom and engage in some meaningful activities that build skills, teamwork, and even connect well with what they have been learning in the classroom. Camp activities provide students with the opportunity to participate physically in activities they may not have encountered before, such as high ropes courses, bushwalking, canoeing, archery, and First Nations cultural activities. Some students thrive in the outdoor education environment and discover a newfound love for learning. 

We hope that our Year Six students have shared many of their favourite memories with you, whether is was frogs in cabins, mountain biking and completing the pump track or standing on a surf board for the first time. I am sure they are memories that will last a lifetime. Good luck to our Year Five teachers and students, we look forward to hearing from you in Week Seven.  

Emily

Emily McKay
Acting Assistant Principal

Opening Celebrations
We have had a busy time over the last two weeks. Our celebration to officially open our new buildings and refurbishments were blessed with a gorgeous day. Bishop Ken was very impressed with our children listening intently to his homily and singing so beautifully. In fact, he said “Thy Word” was one of his favourite hymns. A big thank you to the staff and parents who worked hard to set up tents and chairs for our guests, prepared our special guest Morning Tea, and helped with the cutting and serving of the special celebration cakes which the children enjoyed after the formal part of the event. Another example of the wonderful Our Lady of Lourdes community coming together.

Red Day for Daniel
Thank you to all who walked with us on our Red Day for Daniel – our Red march was noticed by the community. Our walk symbolises always walking with a friend. We thank Detective Sergeant Denny for his leadership and talk. Detective Sergeant Denny reminded us all about being very careful with our online presence, not to give out personal information to people we don’t know, he also reminded us how important it is to have adults we can trust as our safety-hand people. Detective Sergeant Denny also said for us to trust our instincts – because if it doesn’t feel right – it probably isn’t! The students and staff tried to recreate the special slogan we need to remember - Recognise, React and Report. Words that remind us to keep safe. We thank our P&F for providing us all with a Zooper Dooper on our return from our walk.

World Teachers Day
We also wished our teaching staff a Happy World Teachers Day on Friday 25^th October – The theme was “Teachers Make a Difference” and we are so lucky to have the dedicated staff we have at Our Lady of Lourdes.

All Saints Day
The Year 3-5 students celebrated All Saints Day with the OLOL Parish last Friday. The parishioners were impressed with our singing and prayerful respect during Mass. We thank all those who come along to pray with us. 

Year 5 and 6 Camp
Year 6 went on camp last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. By all accounts they had a fabulous time at the Sunshine Coast, – surfing, paddleboarding, mountain bike riding, doing archery, going on a night hike – and they even had time to sleep!  Year 5 went on camp this morning – we wish them a successful camp for the next three days at Tallebudgera on the Gold Coast.

Assembly 
This Thursday Prep D will present their first ever prayer assembly at 2 pm in the hall. All are welcome to join us.

Next Monday, our Year 3 students will lead a Remembrance Day Assembly Prayer at 11 am in the hall. All are welcome to come and pray with us. Please note that there will not be an Assembly on Thursday 14th November.

Volunteers Morning Tea
We hope our volunteers enjoy their Thank You Morning Tea next Tuesday morning (12/11) at 9:30 am, in the Staff room. We always value the help the volunteers give to us throughout the year. If you are a volunteer and you wish to attend, please fill in the electronic form below or alert Mrs Buckley or Mrs McCallum in the office as we need RSVP numbers by this Friday.

https://forms.office.com/r/86AADsda9P

Transition Step-up day
On Wednesday 13th November we have our Transition Step-Up day. All classes will step up to trial their future class for 2025. We welcome our 2025 cohort of Prep students for a morning experience as well. All our Prep parents and new student parents are invited to our school hall for an information talk about OLOL and morning tea.

Our thoughtful P and F will be providing morning tea. All donations will be gratefully received.

Mini Vinnies Hampers
We are also calling for donations for our Mini Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal- we are asking for donations of non-perishable food, toiletries, Christmas treats and if you wish - gift cards. Gift cards can be from grocery stores, toy stores, variety stores and pharmacies. We will present these hampers to our St Vincent De Paul Chapter, for distribution amongst the less fortunate in our parish community, at our End of Year Mass on Friday 6th  December 2024 at 12 noon.    

Year 6 Assembly and Graduation
On Thursday 28^th November, the Year 6 students will present their final assembly at 12 noon. Presentation of Year 5 and 6 Academic, Diligence, Sporting and Serviam awards will also be awarded at this assembly. 

On Tuesday 3^rd December, the Year 6 students will celebrate their Graduation Mass at 6:30 pm. The Ceremony will be held in the OLOL Church. The children will be required to wear their formal school uniform for both these ceremonies.  

Prep Retreat
Prep will have their Prayer retreat on Friday 29^th November. The prep children will walk to Newtown Park at 9 am and return at 11 am. They will need their hat, morning tea, water bottle and a towel for sitting on.

Christmas Concerts
Both our Christmas Concerts are on Wednesday 4^th December.

The Year 3-6 Christmas Concert starts at 11:30 am in the Hall.  

The Prep – 2 Christmas Concert is at 2 pm.  

Please see the Music /Drama notes in the newsletter for further information – especially regarding class-coloured T-shirts. 

Thank you
We thank the Haylock family and Burge Family for their support as we updated our “black backboards” in preparation for our Final Assembly and Christmas Concerts. Ross provided ply and fixed the backboards and Darryl donated the black paint and rollers for us to paint the backboards. We do appreciate the way our OLOL families come to our aid!

End of Year
There will be many prayer celebrations and class activities marking the end of the year – please keep up to date with the newsletter and class news items. 

Our End of Year Mass will be held in our OLOL Hall at 12 noon on Friday 6^th December. 

We have a busy time for the next four and half weeks!  

Have a wonderful week!   

 Cheers   

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity

(APMI)

Prep

We have now passed the halfway mark of the term! Some important information for the weeks ahead:

15th November - Fairy Tale Banquet Reminder
We will be holding our Most High Fairy Tale Banquet to celebrate the conclusion of our English unit. We request that the children come to school dressed as their favourite Fairy Tale character and present an explanation of WHO they are, WHAT happens in their story, and WHY they like the Fairy Tale. Please ensure that students practise their presentation at home. At the banquet, the children will enjoy a sausage sizzle, a cupcake, and a popper. Please send along morning tea, and some extra lunch should you think your child will need extra food for lunch. 

By 22nd November (End of Week 8) – Santa Book
Santa will be visiting our classrooms at the end of the term. Please deliver to the Office a wrapped and named book for your child, in readiness for this visit.

28th November - Nursing Home Visit
Prep C and Prep D/J will attend BlueCare Nursing Home and Prep H will attend Lourdes Home for the Aged to perform their Christmas songs for the residents. We ask that you send along a named Santa hat for your child to wear on the day. Please provide permission on the Parent Portal.

4th December  - Christmas Concert
Preparations are underway for your upcoming Christmas concert. The Prep to Year 2 concert will take place at 2:00pm in the hall.

5th December - Gymnastics Excursion
The children will participate in their final gymnastic excursion for the year. Please provide permission on the Parent Portal.

Donations
A reminder that each classroom has a basket to fill over the term. We are collecting non-perishable grocery, toiletry, and Christmas items, to fill the baskets. The baskets will be given to our local St. Vinent de Paul for a family less fortunate to enjoy over the Christmas period. Please check the use by dates for all items brought in. We thank you for your support.

2025 Uniforms
As you start to prepare for Year 1, please note that the students are to wear black school shoes with their formal uniform, and either all black or all white joggers with their sport unform. Pre-loved uniforms may be purchased through our Second-hand Uniform shop or purchased new from Hannas.

Melita, Amy and Becky

Year 1

It is hard to believe it is week 6 already! Although we are on the home straight, we need to work hard and continue to be the best Lourdes Learners we can until the final bell.

The children have enjoyed working in their targeted reading groups, Wednesday work groups and MAP time groups with the Preps. They have certainly been working hard to make amazing progress this Semester. Keep up the great work Year One!

Last Thursday, we visited Little Miracles and read our fabulous writing to the Kindy children. This activity was inspired by our school-wide theme and motto, Serviam, as a way for the Year One children to serve the local community. We have also created a Buddy Bench in the playground to support our peers in need of a friend to play with, and to promote kindness to all.

On Tuesday, the Elves gave us a special mission to invent new push and pull toys ready for Christmas. We used our knowledge of Forces and the Design Process to plan, build and test our inventions. We hope Santa likes our ideas!

We are excited to catch up with our Year 6 buddies on Friday to hear all about their camp adventures!

Next week, on Wednesday 13^th November, we are looking forward to “stepping up” to Year Two for a morning in preparation for next year. We will meet the teachers, see the classrooms and experience what Year Two feels like.

Thank you to those who have already donated to our Mini Vinnie Christmas Hampers. There is plenty of room left if anyone else would still like to donate. We know it will be gratefully appreciated by those in need.

Thank you for your continued support.

Laura, Jenny and Dennielle  

Year 2

Welcome to Week 6!

We are now on the home stretch to the end of 2024 and still so busy in our classrooms with our learning. We are continuing to practise problem-solving in Maths, as well as directional language and capacity. In English, we are working our persuasive writing and in Science, we are continuing to explore sound. Students have also done a great job learning new skills on Canva to create and publish a poster in Health.  

All library books are to be returned next week for end of year stocktaking.

A reminder that we have a basket in our classrooms waiting to be filled with donations of non-perishable groceries and Christmas items to make up hampers for our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter e.g. 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 have not already done so, please complete the permission form for our end-of-year cinema excursion as soon as possible.

The Prep-2 Christmas Concert will be held on Wednesday 4^th December at 2pm – Year 2 students are asked to wear a green t-shirt for the concert. Please see the Music and Drama section of the newsletter for further information. The End-of-Year Mass will be held on Friday 6^th December at 12 noon – all welcome!

Have a wonderful week!

Ange, Ange and Sarah        

Year 3

We are now well and truly at the pointy end of teaching new concepts in all key learning areas and are practicing independently the taught concepts and strategies. This will be then followed by assessments to be held over the next two weeks.  Please limit time away and ensure all students are well rested.  Full lunchboxes are also important as when our minds are working hard, we get very hungry! As the days are getting warmer, we do recommend ice bricks be added to lunchboxes to keep students food nice and cold.

Thank you for sending in all the required items for Christmas – Mystery Book, Secret Santa and Hamper items, and our Remembrance Day Commemoration – white shirt in a named bag, we are happily ticking names off our lists. We have begun practicing for our Remembrance Day Commemoration and we are very impressed with all students. They have understood the importance of this day and are showing it the respect and dignity it deserves. Well done Year 3!

Last Friday, we excitedly met Mrs Currie’s new baby. The students were thrilled to see Mrs Currie again and finally being able to meet Baby Currie, who was adorable!

English:
In English, we are mastering our persuasive techniques of emotive language, modal verbs, rhetorical questions, alliteration, personal pronouns and sizzling starts. The students are becoming persuasive people who love to push their point profusely!

Maths:
In Maths, we are collecting data, interpreting and representing data in pictographs, bar graphs and column graphs. This has been a lot of fun, finding out about students' preferred food choices, interests and eye colours.

Key dates. More information will be communicated to parents closer to the date.

• Remembrance Day - Monday 11 November @ 11am Led by Year 3 Cohort
• Step Up Morning - Wednesday 13 November
• Years 3 – 6 Christmas Concert - Wednesday 4 December @ 11:30am
• Swimming Carnival - Thursday 5 December
• End of Year Mass - Friday 6 December @ 12pm

Thanks for reading,

Mel, Demi, and Renee

Year 4

Welcome to Week 6!  The Year 4 classes are enjoying our learning and beginning various assessments. It is so lovely to see the growth that has occurred throughout the year. It is great to see students continuing to try their hardest to be the best Lourdes Learners that they can be.  Students’ writing has shown a marked improvement from the year’s beginning, as has their reading and comprehension ability. We are incredibly proud of the Year 4 students!

In Science, we are studying forces and learning about how objects move. We have performed experiments and will be designing objects that use various forces.

In English, we continue to learn how to write entertaining narrative paragraphs. We are focusing on the individual parts of narrative structure, through written descriptions of setting and character. We are also learning the art of developing a problem with a resolution, using a variety of sentences and interesting vocabulary.

In Religion, we are exploring the Nicene Creed, The Trinity and looking at the different texts in the Old Testament such as Sacred Texts, Laws, Narratives, Proverbs and Songs.

In Maths, we have noticed plenty of improvement with tables, so well done to those students who are working hard at home to consolidate their division and multiplication facts.

This term we are enjoying exploring shapes, angles and symmetry.

As the end of the year approaches, we are starting to get ready for Christmas, organising Secret Santa as well as Christmas craft.  Please remind your child to keep their secret santa person a secret and to bring gifts in by the end of week 8.  Gifts can start coming in as early as next week.

Please return all library books by the end of this week. There will be no more borrowing. Perhaps families can borrow from the Toowoomba Library, so we keep reading for the rest of the term and continue during the holidays.

Week 10
Mon- Excursion to the movies to see Runt and Pizza Party – Note will be Published in the next few days

Wed- Christmas Carols Yrs 3-6 – 11.30am (Wear a blue or purple shirt)

Thurs-Swimming Carnival at Glennie

Fri-     Mass-12noon - students may leave after mass

Thank you for your contributions to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas hampers. Donations can be brought in right up until the end of term.

Any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Suzanne, Aleisha, Jessica and Danielle  

Year 5

It’s hard to believe that we only have a little over four weeks of school left.  

Dates to Remember:

• Week 6- Wednesday-Friday: Year 5 Camp 
• Week 7 – Monday 11 November: Remembrance Day Mass @11am
• Week 7 – Wednesday 13 November: Step-Up Day 
• Week 7 – Friday 15 November: All library loans due back 
• Week 9 – Tuesday 26 November: Leadership Speeches 
• Week 9 – Friday 29 November: Year 5 Bowling Trip 
• Week 10 – Wednesday 4 December: Christmas Concert 
• Week 10 - Thursday 5 December Swimming Carnival   
• Week 10 - Friday 6 December Final School Assembly @12pm 

English: In English, students are continuing to practise and reinforce their understanding and skill to write evaluative recommendations, using chapters from “Ground Zero” written by Alan Gratz. Students analyse the text by identifying language features and provide explanations of the impact that these elements have on the audience. This analysis is used to support their recommendation, which is presented in paragraph structure using our evaluative adjectives and text connectives to help make our writing cohesive and powerful.

Maths: In Maths, students will be constructing a grid coordinate system that uses coordinates to locate a given position. They will be using coordinates and directional language to describe position and movement.

Leadership Speeches: Tuesday 26^th November. Year 5 students applying for a school or house captain position will need to prepare a speech that goes for no more than 1.5 min in length. All students applying for a leadership position should send a letter of intention to Ms Trenerry before the end of Week 7, 15^th November.

Christmas Donations: Our baskets are looking a little bare. 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. Thank you to those families who have already brought in donations.

Swimming Carnival: All students are encouraged to participate in our annual swimming carnival. It is expected that all children in Grades 3-6 nominate themselves for at least one event. Less confident swimmers can use a noodle or kickboard if necessary and nominate for the 25m Freestyle. It is all about getting points for your team, supporting everyone, showing sportsmanship, and enjoying the day.  

Jess, Garry, Sandra and Lisa

Year 6

Date Claimers:

Thursday November 28^th: Year Six Final Assembly 12 noon

Tuesday December 3^rd: Year Six Graduation Mass 6:30pm

Wednesday December 4^th: Christmas Concert Year 3-6 11:30am

Thursday December 5^th: Swimming Carnival

Friday December 6^th: End of Year Mass 12 noon

Camp:
Huge congratulations to our Year Six students on a successful camp. Without a doubt the Lourdes teachers and staff from Total Adventures could clearly see students demonstrating growth, resilience, persistence, and encouragement for their peers when faced with challenges. Serviam for others was shown during meal service, gathering equipment for activities and working together in cabins. Highlights for our students included surfing and mountain biking. The camp was set amongst an exceptional environment – The Great Sandy National Park. This beauty was not lost on our students who acted and listened as Global Citizens showing care and concern for our world.

Mia McKenzie : “Our instructors were very helpful and made instructions easy, especially when learning how to surf.”

Mia Glasby: “The food was amazing!”

Charlotte Ozog: “ Mountain biking was fun because we went through forest tracks as well as two pump tracks.”

Jonathon Whittaker: “Standing on a surfboard for the first time was the best.”

Final Assembly:
We invite all parents and caregivers to our final assembly on Thursday 28^th November beginning at 12 noon. Each family will be allocated two seats on the southern side of the hall. Please discuss in your family groups who will be sitting in this area and extra family members will be able to sit at the back of the hall with other members from our school community. There is no need to let us know the names of family members taking the assigned seats. Surnames for each family will be displayed to easily locate your seating.

After our assembly, we invite students and family members to join as a community for light refreshments until approximately 1:30pm. We ask Year Six students to remain at school to help set up our Senior’s Christmas Party in the hall.

Year Six Graduation Mass:
Mass will be in our Church on Tuesday  December 3^rd at 6:30pm. During the Mass, we remind all family members of the sacredness of this night and to please refrain from bringing food and drinks, using phones, and remember to remove hats whilst inside our Church. Students will wear their formal summer uniforms.

Assessment:
Assessment will be occurring until the end of Week Seven – according to our assessment planners. We appreciate your support in ensuring attendance is maintained during this period and of course until the end of the year.

Zoo Visit:
Year 6M had a fantastic trip to Darling Downs Zoo on Friday 25 November. Thanks to Josie for winning them this trip!

Kylie, Shauna, and Steve

Visual Arts

Prep: Last week students made a fun collage Jack O Lantern. This week we begin our Christmas art activities. Our first activity is a cute Christmas elf that the students will then gift to the new friends at the aged care home when they visit.

Year 1: This week we begin our Christmas activities! The first art project will be a silhouette the nativity scene. Students will paint a sunset background and then collage black paper to create a nativity scene.

Year 2: The year 2 students will also be beginning their Christmas themed art. Their first art project is titled, The Star. They will use their ruler to draw radiating lines to create shapes that they will then watercolour.

Year 3: Due to some interruptions from the opening celebrations, some year 3’s are still completing their water colour dog. For students that have completed this project they will sketch and colour Christmas baubles. Next week when we are all caught up the students will start a drawing of the Holy Family.

Year 4: This week students will complete their New Year Lion by painting fireworks for their backgrounds. If time allows, they will start an oil pastel picture of a candle. They will learn how to blend colour and create blurring to simulate a flickering light.

Mrs. Simmons

Italian

Students are preparing for their end of term assessment.  They will prepare answers for a questionnaire about themselves, that they will present orally from next week. After this is complete, we will begin preparations for our end of year culminating activity, an Italian Feast. More information on this soon.

Signora Simmons

Our Lady Of Lourdes Christmas Carols

Wednesday 4^th December  - Years 3,4,5 & 6 Carols at 11.30am in the Hall.
Wednesday 4^th December - Preps, 1 & 2 Carols at 2pm in the Hall.
Students are hard at work preparing carols for our end of year celebration - we hope that you can join us for these events!

Each year, we ask students in each year level to wear a plain coloured t-shirt. Students can embellish these with appropriate Christmas accessories (antler headbands, tinsel in hair etc). Please purchase a coloured t-shirt for your child for them to match with their class peers on stage for their musical item. Students can wear this t-shirt to school. School shorts, socks and shoes are to be worn to school as usual. Please see below for year level colours.

I would also encourage students in Years 3-6 to bring a cowboy or cowgirl hat for an "Aussie" country themed finale. This is optional.

Prep - White
Year 1 - Red
Year 2 - Green
Year 3 – White t-shirt ( T-shirt already collected for Remembrance Day)
Year 4 - Purple/Blue
Year 5 - Red
Year 6 - Green

2024 OLOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL

SWIMMING NOMINATIONS are due on Sunday 24^th November. Please nominate your children ASAP to assist us with our carnival planning.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO SWIM?

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

All students in Grade 3 who are born in 2016 will be eligible to swim, 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.

POINTS ALLOCATION & AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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. Students who are hoping to be considered for their respective age championship should swim as many 50/100m events as possible.

PLEASE ONLY NOMINATE YOUR CHILD FOR EVENTS THAT THEY CAN COMPETENTLY AND CONFIDENTLY COMPETE IN.

HOW TO NOMINATE

You will receive a Sentral App Permission request. This request will require you to select which events your child would like to swim in.

Nomination Guidelines – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

• Students can choose between the 25M OR 50M Event in each stroke.
• Students can choose to ADD 100m events, regardless of whether they have chosen the 25m or 50m event in each stroke.
• It is expected that all children in Grades 3-6 nominate themselves for at least one event.
• If you have not received the request, please contact Carla in the front office to check/update your details.
• All nominations need to be in by Sunday 24^th November 2024.
• 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.
• Please refer to the examples below:

Example 1:  Jane is 12 years old and is a strong swimmer who would like to contest the age championship. To achieve this, she needs to nominate for as many 50m and 100m events as possible. She is still working on her Butterfly and isn’t yet confident nominating for 50m. Jane has chosen the following events:

• 25m Butterfly; 50m backstroke; 50m breaststroke; 50m Freestyle; 100m backstroke; 100m breaststroke; 100m Freestyle; 100M Individual Medley.

Example 2:  Tim is 9 years old, and he has just started Stingrays. His swimming is improving rapidly, but he has only just started learning breaststroke and butterfly kick. Sam has chosen:

• 25m backstroke; 50m Freestyle.

Example 3: Steve is new to Our Lady of Lourdes and has not participated in swimming lessons before. He loves to swim but is not overly confident. Steve has chosen to nominate for:

• 25m freestyle with a floatation device.

CARNIVAL TIMELINE

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

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. We will also be looking for a few helpers to run the stopwatches.

DONATION OF AGE CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIONS

Thank you to the Twidale Family for their generous donation of the Track & Field and Swimming carnival medallions for 2024.  Please support our local family businesses.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

In Week 2 of Term 1, 2025 (Date 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.

Representative Teams

Congratulations to Millie in Grade 5 on her selection in the Darling Downs Aquathlon team. We wish you all the best at the State Titles in 2025!

Rachel Wigan

Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au

Library News 

The Library has been a hive of activity at lunch breaks recently! It is so lovely to catch up with people at break times and to offer a space where children have so many choices.  

Healthy Online Habits 

Developing healthy online habits is essential for primary school students to ensure a safe and positive digital experience. First, it’s important to encourage kids to think before they click—this means being cautious about the websites they visit and the information they share. Setting time limits on screen use can help maintain a balance between online activities and other important aspects of life, like playing outside or reading. Teaching them to recognize and report inappropriate content or cyberbullying is crucial, as is fostering an understanding of privacy settings on social media and gaming platforms. Lastly, promoting kindness and respect in online interactions helps create a supportive digital community. By practicing these habits, children can enjoy the benefits of the internet while staying safe and healthy! Make some time to check in on your family members and their online health.  

Important Dates 

• November 15th – All student loans are due back 

• November 22nd – All remaining outstanding loans will be charged to school accounts in full

End of Year Procedures 

Outstanding Loans 

Please ensure timely return of all resources to avoid charges and come to see us if you have any issues or think a loan has been returned (sometimes things get put in incorrect piles or helpful students put them away without us scanning them!). We can make notes to ensure there are no charges if you need extra time but these requests must come from a parent/guardian. Pop in to see Mrs Leathart on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or Email: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Stocktake 

In Week 8 – 10 we will be conducting our end of year Stocktake and continuing to repurpose our old readers into thematic boxes to enhance student knowledge in specific, curriculum driven, content areas.  

Scholastic Book Club 

Issue 7 Orders have been delayed by the supplier – we hope to have them to you by the end of the week. Issue 8 Brochures will go home soon. This will be the last chance to order for 2024 and a great way to stock up for Christmas – we have the ‘Something to Read’ part of present shopping all covered! Issue 8 orders due by November 18th. Thank you for supporting Book Club in 2024.   

Enjoy your books!  

Mrs Leathart, Mrs Monte and Mrs Kemp  

How we can all help keep our students safe 

Australia’s biggest safety lesson occurs each year on a Friday, in the last week of October. The Daniel Morcombe foundation’s objective is to acknowledge that as adults we must protect our children and provide safe communities. The Daniel Morcombe Child safety lessons and awareness program have been developed to help support school communities, safe and vigilant against crimes against children. The Daniel Morcombe website is regularly updated with new information and resources to help school communities educate our children about ways that they can be safe.  

‘Stranger Danger’ which was taught in schools many years ago, referred to keeping our children safe in the local community that they lived, whereas now, in today’s fast paced world of technology, online safety- which extends beyond our local communities presents a real and present danger. Unfortunately, technological advances haven’t quite caught up to preventing childhood abuse online, all of which can occur without parents/carers or teachers’ knowledge.  Therefore, as adults we need to be vigilant in ensuring that we not only monitor what our children are accessing online we need to ensure that we have parental controls in place to prevent, limit or block our children’s access to potentially inappropriate content. Through education we can all increase our knowledge and skills in helping our children feel safe.  

A key educational message from the Daniel Morcombe curriculum is that we teach our children to recognise, react and report when things don’t seem right. 

1. Recognise body clues- identify how they are feeling. At school, we often talk about the Zones of regulation, and asking children to identify how they are feeling? Are they feeling in the blue zone (less energy), are they feeling in the red zone (angry, or lots of energy) or are they feeling in the Yellow zone- (anxious, worried, scared). Often its our body cues that help us identify when things don’t feel right, and that we might be in danger.  

1. React is learning to respond to an unsafe situation. Its identifying that I don’t feel safe and that something isn’t right.  Teaching kids the skills about what they can do to when they feel scared, anxious or worried and feel that something bad is about to happen.  

1. Report to a trusted grown up. Feeling unsafe is not a problem that children should try and solve on their own. Feeling unsafe should be reported, and children should be encouraged to speak up and not keep secrets.  Teaching children to report feeling unsafe or uncomfortable is vital to help ensure that children feel confident that their voice will be heard.  

The ‘Safety Hand’ which involves tracing a hand and then naming five trusted adults at home and at school that they trust is a helpful strategy in supporting our students identify who they might talk to if they felt that they were in danger.  

Through the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Student Protection Policy, School Student Protection Contact (SSPCs) are mandated, and these staff are at school and are identifiable by the school posters, our school’s website and through our newsletters. The SSPCs have received extra training in student protection to help support school communities be safe and to identify and report any children who may be at risk of abuse or harm.  

Additionally, I’d encourage all families to explore the free resources available online by the Daniel Morcombe foundation website: www.danielmorcombe.com.au 

I’d also encourage all families to have a conversation with their child about ‘child safety’ at home.  If this article has raised any concerns or questions please contact me, sarah.jackman@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Sarah Jackman 

Guidance Counsellor