Dear Families,

We have officially passed the halfway point of Term 2. The school is buzzing with athletics preparation, choir practices, engaging classrooms and a range of lunch time activities to keep our students engaged. As the weather is getting cold, it is a timely reminder to ensure students are wearing the correct jumper/jacket/stockings etc. It is often the point in time of the term, where children can become tired and find it harder to get going in the mornings. It is also an important time in the term where student learning is assessed. Thank you for ensuring your children come to school ready and prepared for their day– even on the hard days!

School Choir

Congratulations to our school choir for the participation and success in the recent Toowoomba Eisteddfod. They entertained the Empire Theatre audience, along with their families with a rendition of ‘Star Full of Stars’. The choir placed 3^rd in their section. We are very proud of their efforts in both their Wednesday before school rehearsals and on the evening. Thank you to Mrs Rosier for her preparation of the students and passion for Performing Arts.

Oval

Next week, the new oval space will be opened for our students to use. The extended green space will provide our children with additional play spaces, more room for sport and physical education lessons. Later this year we will officially open this area, with a whole school fun and active activity- watch this space!

St John’s Roma SRIP

You may remember that in 2024, our school went through the school renewal and improvement process with Toowoomba Catholic Schools. This process is across the Toowoomba Diocese. Next week, I will be supporting this process in Roma as a peer principal. During this time, Mrs Janice Moore will be deputising.

Athletics Carnival

Next week, all our students will have the opportunity to participate in our school athletics carnival. It is also a wonderful opportunity for families to watch their children participate in the day. It is important for us all to remember, that although the carnival has a competitive element, it is also a day where we encourage every student to participate to the best of their ability. Good luck to all students and thank you to Mr Dugdale, for his excellent preparation of the students and organisation of the day.

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

Exciting Happenings at Our Lady of Lourdes!

The past few weeks at Our Lady of Lourdes have been filled with enriching experiences for our students. From captivating visits by authors and the joy of National Simultaneous Story Time to an unforgettable trip to the Brisbane Planetarium for our Year 2s, it has certainly been very engaging for our students.

Students have been enjoying lunch time Art, Drama, STEM, and Gardening clubs and it is a joy seeing their smiles as they experience creativity, curiosity, and cooperative play.

Our talented school choir gave a fantastic performance at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod, earning third place in their section—an achievement we’re incredibly proud of! It was also inspiring to witness the determination of students at our Cross Country carnival, showcasing their resilience and courageous spirit. Our Year 3-6 students have been eagerly preparing for the upcoming Athletics Carnival, sharpening their skills with practice sessions each Friday.

Lourdes has been well represented at various competitions, including the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Chess Tournament, West Zone Cross Country, and the Queensland Cup Primary Schools Netball Carnival in Brisbane. Congratulations to all these students.

All these experiences are examples of how we strive to create a school environment that encourages our students to enthusiastically participate in their schooling. We strive to foster an environment where our learners feel a strong sense of belonging, are valued, and are inspired to learn.

This commitment extends to our dedicated staff, who are invited to actively engage in professional learning teams (PLTs). These teams provide opportunities for collaboration, growth, and innovation in key areas, including Teaching & Learning, Behaviour & Engagement, Technology, and Mission & Identity. 

It’s clear that learning is a huge focus at Lourdes. Through a variety of initiatives, opportunities, and community-driven efforts, we aim to ensure that every student and staff member is empowered to participate, learn, and grow.

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Confirmation and First Eucharist 

On Tuesday 13^th May, 32 of our Year 4, 5 and 6 students from our school and parish, received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Ken Howell presided.  Bishop Ken’s homily was about the history of the Sacrament of Confirmation. The symbols of Laying of Hands, renewal of Baptismal Promises, blessing with the Oil of Chrism, and taking of a Confirmation name all link Confirmation to the Sacrament of Baptism – Sacraments of Welcome in the church.

These children then received their First Eucharist on Sunday 18^th May. Last Sunday these children became full members of the Catholic Faith.  

We congratulate these children and their families for the sacramental journey they have undertaken.

We thank Father Jamie, Deacon BJ and the Parish Sacramental Team for the time and effort they put into the Preparation Sundays, preparing, and setting up for each of the Liturgies. We are so lucky to be supported by the close connection we have with our Parish during our Sacramental Journeys and School Mass celebrations. 

Year One Prayer Retreat

Last Wednesday afternoon the Year One cohort participated in a prayer retreat on our school oval. We celebrated the gift of the Season of Autumn. It was a beautiful afternoon with the sun shining and just a little breeze to ruffle our hair. The children ended our prayer, making some autumn leaf pictures with a partner.

Wednesday 28^th May Today was Free Dress, wearing our Favourite Footy Colours. A Gold Coin donation for our Catholic Charities of St Vincent De Paul was brought in by children.  Our Local St Vincent De Paul chapter support the families of our Parish who are finding things difficult in our current economic climate. If you know of someone that may need such support please do not hesitate to contact our OLOL Parish Office (07 46 341453 9 am – 1pm weekdays or email the Parish at ourladyoflourdesparish@twb.catholic.org.au and they will put you in contact with our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter. Or alternatively, if you would like to be a volunteer in this area – please also contact the Parish Office. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation 

If your child is in Year 3 and up and would like to be part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation - a “Forms” note for the Preparation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Term 3 was emailed last week. If you didn’t receive an email and would like to be part of this year’s programme, please contact the parish office (07 46 341453 9 am – 1pm weekdays) or email the Parish at ourladyoflourdesparish@twb.catholic.org.au It would be a good time now to locate your child’s Baptism Certificate and find an A5 sized photo.  

Dates for your Diary: 

Thursday 29^th May – Assembly 2:15 pm – Led by 2D

Thursday 5^th June – Athletics Presentation Assembly – 2:15 pm

Thursday 12^th June –Assembly 2:15 pm –Led by 3L 

Thursday 19^th June – Assembly 2:15 pm – Led by 5M 

Friday 27^th June – NAIDOC Assembly 12 noon- Led by Year 4 (No Thursday Assembly on 20/6/2024)  

Thursday 3^rd July – Deacon BJ Perrett’s Ordination – St Patrick’s Cathedral 6:30 pm ( RSVP Sunday 15/6/2025 stpatrickscathedral@twb.catholic.org.au )

Term 3  

Thursday 24^th July – Pyjama Day – Gold coin donation for the Pyjama Foundation

Tuesday 29^th July – Catholic Education Week– Grandparents Day– 9:30am School Hall - Please email One photo of your child’s grandparents to Mrs Moore ( Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au ) for the photostory powerpoint. Photos need to be in no later than Wednesday 23rd July 2025.   If there are any Volunteers available to help with morning tea – please contact Mrs. Moore.  

Friday 1^st August – Bishop’s Inservice Pupil Free Day 

Have a great week.

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity

(APMI)

Upcoming Dates

Congratulations & Well Done

A huge well done to the OLOL Netball team that attended the Queensland Cup Primary Schools Carnival last week at Downey Park Netball Courts in Brisbane. The team was very competitive and finished with 2 wins and a draw from their 6 games to finish mid-field in their pool. Training for the team will continue every Monday in preparation for the Catholic Education Carnival on Thursday 31 July.

Well done to all OLOL students who represented West Zone at the recent DDSS Cross Country trials. Congratulations to Millicent Budden who finished third and gained selection in the DDSS Cross Country team to attend the Qld School Sport State Championships in Brisbane in July.

OLOL Athletics Carnival

The full OLOL Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 3 June at O’Quinn Street Oval. Please note below details regarding the Carnival schedule, age groupings, event eligibility, and other relevant information.

High Jump Championship Events

The OLOL High Jump Championship events will be held on Thursday 29 May on the OLOL Oval. Qualifying students will be informed prior to the event, and students will be permitted to wear their sports uniform to school on that day. Times are as follows:

• 10:00am B & G Born 2016
• 11:15am B & G Born 2015
• 12:30pm B & G Born 2014
• 2:00pm B & G Born 2013

2025 Schedule of Events

* See schedule of events below.

Age-Group Divisions

All students will be issued with a name sticker that states their name and year of birth.  Age group coordinators will provide students with their sticker when they arrive at O’Quinn Street. Students compete in their age group not their class year.  Please see below if you are unsure what age group your child falls into:

Event Eligibility & Nomination

Points Allocation - Individual Age-Championship & House Points

The following points will be awarded to individual athletes and their respective Houses according to the overall places that they obtain in each event.  Heats will be run for all track events (in the 9-12 year’s category), except for the 800m.  One participation point will go towards each students’ individual and House tally following these heats.  Subsequently, finals will then take place to award the major individual age championship points and House points, as below. These points will also be awarded to all 9-12 years students for field events.

1^st Place-10 pts (Blue), 2^nd Place-6 pts (Red), 3^rd Place-4 pts (Green), 4^th Place-2 pts (Yellow) 1 pt-5^th place onwards.

Championship & Participation Field Events

In 2025 we will be trialling a different format for our 9-12 years Field events. 

• All students 9-12 years will participate in the Long Jump Championship event and will receive House and Age Championship points as above and will be eligible for school team selection.
• All 9-12 Years students will be assessed in PE classes and separated into Championship and Standard events for High Jump, Shot Put and Discus. Students in the Championship events will receive House and Age Championship points as above and will be eligible for school team selection. Please note the High Jump Championship event will be held in the week prior to the OLOL Athletics. Carnival.
• Students in Standard events (Foxtail, Vortex) will receive points for their House based on how far they throw relevant to the event standard. These students will not be eligible for school team selection.

80m, 100m & 200m Final Qualifications

All 80m, 100m and 200m events will be timed and the fastest 8-9 runners will proceed to the final.  All students will be required to remain at the finish line until all heats in their age group have been run.  Finalists will then be named, and they will proceed directly to the Track Marshals to run their respective final.

Travel to and from the Event

Arriving

Departing

Medal Presentations

No presentations will be held at the Oval.  A special assembly will be conducted on Thursday 5 June at 2:00pm. At this Assembly we will present certificates to the 5-8 years runners, medallions to the 9-12 Years Age Champions, and announce the winning House.

Catholic T&F and West Zone Athletics Carnival Team Selection

Following the OLOL Athletics Carnival, OLOL will be selecting a team to represent the school at the Catholic Track & Field Carnival and West Zone Carnival. 

West Zone - only students born 2013-2016 are eligible for team selection. Only students born 2013-2015 are eligible to participate in the Shot Put and the Discus events at the Zone level. OLOL are limited to the following numbers of entries:

Catholic Track & Field Carnival - all details as per the West Zone Carnival however students born 2020-2017 will also be invited to participate in the Track events at the Catholic Track & Field Carnival.  The top 3 runners in each age group will be selected.

Absence from the School Carnival

If your child is unable to attend one or both days of the OLOL Athletics Carnival, and they would like to be considered for the school team, please contact me on the details below.  The school will grant exemptions on the same grounds as Darling Downs School Sport. These grounds for exemption are as follows:

1. Medical condition on the day of the carnival & they have a medical certificate.
2. Attending another Zone, Toowoomba, Darling Downs, Queensland School Sport or School Sport Australia Championships or equivalent in community sports.
3. Bereavement or compassionate reasons

If one or more of these conditions have been met, the school will organize to record times and distances for the affected student, preferably prior to the relevant Carnival, as a means of team selection.  It is important to note that these times and distances will only be considered for placement in the school team, and not to go towards Age Championship Points.  To be awarded Age Champion the student must attend the school carnival.  Please contact me if you require further clarification.

Canteen

There WILL NOT be a canteen operating at O’Quinn Street.

OLOL Track & Field Carnival Medallions – Sponsorship

In previous years various families and businesses have donated the Age-champion medallions to be given to the children.  All donations given will be acknowledged in the school newsletter and Carnival program.  If you would like to contribute to the purchase of the medallions, or know someone that might like to, please email me on the details below. 

Track & Field Carnival - Schedule of Events – O’Quinn Street

Representative Sport—Toowoomba & Darling Downs Teams

Throughout the course of the year Toowoomba Primary School Sport and Darling Downs School Sport offer trials to eligible students for a variety of team and individual sports.  To be eligible for selection, students need to be born in 2013, 2014 or 2015. Strict nomination requirements apply, and it is at the sole discretion of the school to decide whether to nominate individual students. OLOL will also host trials for sports which have multiple students seeking to nominate to attend the TPSS or DDSS trials. All trials will be advertised by email to parents, on assembly and in PE lessons, and posted on the Sports Board outside the Hall. The trials listed below are either yet to be advertised or have been advertised and the nomination window is still open.

     *Please note that the dates below are subject to change.

Concerns and Questions

If you have any future questions or concerns, always feel free to contact me. I am very keen to ensure we maintain a high level of communication and give every possible opportunity for students to play, enjoy, and learn in a friendly, safe, positive, and inclusive environment. Please note that I do not work at OLOL on Mondays except for occasional Sporting School lessons, however I am still available to be contacted to ensure I can support and assist in any way possible.

Richard Dugdale
PE Teacher

Read More in May!

May has been busy with lots of activities to encourage reading for pleasure, and we are very lucky to have some brand-new titles to share! I cannot wait to see these titles heading home in library bags soon.

Read More Challenge Reminder

As May comes to an end it is time to start sending back you Read More in May forms by June 3^rd. Thank you to those children who have already bought their completed forms to the Library.

All students who return their filled in form will receive a participation certificate AND be entered in the DRAW to win a $25 Book Voucher!

Chess Tournament

Congratulations to all our players who participated in the Annual TCSO Chess Tournament on Thursday, May 22. It was truly wonderful to witness such skill, strategy, and passion for the game. Your dedication and sportsmanship made the event a remarkable success. Whether you secured a victory or simply enjoyed the challenge, your efforts deserve to be celebrated. Well done, we are so proud of you all. 

Chess Lessons

Parents of students who attend Chess lessons, please be aware that there will be NO lessons on Tuesday in Week 7 due to the Athletics Carnival. If you have any questions about Chess lessons please contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Important Links:

AccessIt https://au.accessit.online/ORL13.

Wheelers eBooks Wheelers eBooks

Library Opening Times

Parent Borrowing

Just a reminder that parents are welcome to borrow up to 10 additional books from the library collection. We are open in the times above. Please be aware that parents are unable to borrow from the home reading collection including all On My Own and Read with Me titles. These titles are in high demand for staff and students, and we do not have enough copies to loan to families from this collection. Please access extra Decodable Readers via DRA online (class teachers will have logon details) or Wheelers eBooks (student email and password to logon). Thank you for your understanding.  

Book Club

Issue 4 brochures are now out and in school bags everywhere! Orders due by COB Wednesday 3^rd June, 2025. Please email queries about Book Club to Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Happy Reading! Mrs Leathart, Mrs Monte and Mrs Kemp.

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

The annual Toowoomba Eisteddfod was held at the beautiful Empire Theatre (Week 4) and the Our Lady of Lourdes school choir entered into the competition for the first time in a very long time. We sung "A Sky Full of Stars" by Martin & Champion and our performance was well received by our audience. With a score of 88/100 we received 3rd place and I am exceptionally happy with our overall effort in this competition. Thank you to all staff and parents involved for your help and support on the day. A big congratulations to our choir - they sounded magnificent! 

Mrs. Rosier