Dear Families,

The start of the 2025 school year has been such a positive one, and I would like to thank all members of our school community for making this happen. Thank you to the parents who attended the Parent Information Night.  It was also wonderful to have so many attend the Welcome BBQ. The students enjoyed the disco. They certainly showed their dance moves to Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars! A big thank you to the P&F and parent helpers, who made Friday night a great success.

School Fees
Fees were emailed home last Friday, February 14. If you haven’t received them, please check your junk mail folder. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office. I encourage any families experiencing difficulty in paying fees, to contact the office sooner rather than later, so a suitable arrangement can be made.

Cybersafety Parent Evening – Tuesday February 25
Please join us on Tuesday evening for the presentation by Susan McLean. This is such an important topic for us all- educators and parents. Regardless of the ages of your children, managing the online world for our children is part of our everyday world.

Leadership Forum
Each term, principals from Toowoomba Catholic Schools attend a Leadership Forum. This term, the forum is being held in Toowoomba. I will be attending this forum from Monday-Wednesday of next week. Ms Murray will deputise during this time. I very much value this time to engage in Diocesan professional learnings and dialogue, that in turn support our school.

Attendance
Arriving at school on time for learning and being at school every day, contributes to setting each child up for a successful day of learning and social interactions. As we approach the half way point on Term 1, children may become tired or hit a bit of a bump in the road. I thank you in advance for continuing to ensuring your child/ren attend school each day on time and make contact with the school office if your child is absent.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight ahead.

Kind regards,

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

It is pleasing to see that our students have settled back into the learning environment with enthusiasm and growing independence, quickly embracing classroom routines. Connections have fostered a positive and supportive atmosphere.  

Lourdes is a strong community that values relationships and this was evident at our latest community gathering at the Welcome BBQ. It was a fun evening. Thank you for your commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.  

Understanding our focus on reading 

Reading is one of the most crucial skills students learn in school. We know that being able to read well is a fundamental skill to achieving success at school and beyond. It opens doors to endless opportunities for lifelong learning and success.  

Changes to the Australian Curriculum and the evolution of reading research has resulted in a Diocesan Approach to Reading based on the science of reading. The science of reading is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to understanding how we learn to read and the best methods to teach reading in every classroom, every day. 

The science of reading provides a structured approach that has been proven to work for all types of students, including those who struggle with reading. 

In our school, we are committed to incorporating these evidence-based practices into our reading instruction. We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to become a confident and capable reader. 

Parents play a crucial role in their children's early reading success by: 

• Engaging in language-rich interactions and teaching new vocabulary as they read with their child 

• Modelling reading as a valuable and enjoyable activity  

• Reading to their children, even after they can read independently 

• Providing access to quality children's books at home and through libraries 

• Listening to their children read instructional texts from school, offering feedback and encouragement

These activities help build a strong foundation in oral language and background knowledge, which are essential for learning to read effectively. 

Happy Reading!

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Beginning School Mass
We thank all those who were able to celebrate our Beginning of School Mass with us last Tuesday. 

We officially farewelled Father Quinlan and wished him well in his retirement and we welcomed Father Jamie Collins and Deacon BJ Perrett. The theme of our Mass was “We are a community” - the first of our Lourdes Way Values.

Year 6 Retreat
Last Monday the Year 6 students participated in a “Community Retreat”.  The Year 6 children did some thinking and group activities about how they can work on developing our “We are a Community” value.  –It was wonderful to see the children’s willingness to think and share their thoughts about how they can encourage others in our community.

Confirmation and 1^st Eucharist Sacramental Preparation Programme
The preparation for the Confirmation and 1^st Eucharist Sacramental programme for children in Year 4 and up - begins with the first parent meeting at 10:45 am this Sunday 23^rd February in the OLOL Church. The Parish co-ordinates the program. If you have any questions or concerns, please email the parish ourladyoflourdesparish@twb.catholic.org.au  or call them between 9:00am – 1:00pm weekdays on 07 46341453. 

Week 5 Assembly
Next week 4T leads the School Assembly at 2:15pm. 

Shrove Tuesday
On Tuesday 4^th March we will celebrate “Shrove Tuesday” with our pancake breakfast at 7:30am. Shrove Tuesday is a tradition which began with people using up all their eggs, butter and milk before the strict restrictions of Lent begins. We invite everyone to come along to buy a pancake for $1. We continue to ask for donations of pancake mix, maple syrup, bamboo forks, serviettes, and paper plates. Please send to your child’s classroom. This will be the first job of the Year 6 children’s “Community Leadership” quest for 2025. The money raised from the pancake breakfast will be donated to the Caritas Project Compassion Appeal.  Each class will have a project Compassion box in their classroom for children to put in a donation each week. We will send our donations to Caritas so they can keep up their good work of helping others less fortunate than ourselves. 50c each Friday would be a great way to fill the Project Compassion boxes! 

Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent will start on Wednesday 5^th March with our Ash Wednesday Prayer at 2 pm in the hall. Lent is a time of reflection, opportunities to make improvements in our lives by preparing to be better people – this is also preparation for the wonderful season of Easter. Lent goes for 6 weeks and the colour in the church changes from green to purple.  

Dates for your Diary:  

Monday  17^th March- St Patrick’s Day Green Coloured Clothes day. Wear something sunsafe green and please bring a gold coin for our Caritas Lenten Mission Appeal.  

Friday 4^th April – Holy Week Assembly 11 am in school hall.  

God Bless and have a great week!   

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity (APMI)

Upcoming Dates

Cross Country Training
The Our Lady of Lourdes Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday 2 April at Newtown Park.  In preparation for this event, we will be running a Cross-Country Training Program, as below:

 Please Note

• Students are to be dropped off at the park at 7:20am.
• Please ensure that you walk your child to the meeting place and check them in with a staff member present.
• Following training, all students will walk back to school as a group with supervising teachers.
• As part of the risk assessment process for Cross Country, all students that run the competitive track must be of sound fitness. All students wishing to run the competitive track must also have a signed consent form.  These will be sent home with interested students later in Term 1.

 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. Please note that Sport trials highlighted in yellow will be advertised in Week 4.

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

Inter School Sport Information
Term 1 Inter School Sport has now started. Draws will be advertised on either the Wednesday or Thursday of each relevant week.

Dates: Friday Weeks 3-8

Approx times:

• 12:00 pm – Lunchtime
• 12:15 pm – Bus departure
• 12:50-1.30 pm – Round 1
• 1:35-2.15 pm – Round
• 2:20 pm Bus departure

Sports/Requirements:

• AFL – Mouthguard, OLOL sports uniform shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (OLOL AFL jersey provided)
• Girls Touch Football - OLOL sports uniform shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (OLOL Touch Football, shirt provided)
• Red Ball Tennis - OLOL sports uniform polo shirt and shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (tennis racquet provided if required).
• Softball - OLOL sports uniform polo shirt and shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (glove and playing equipment provided if required).

Venues:

AFL – Concordia College

Touch Football – Kearney Springs Fields

Tennis – Range Tennis Club, Lindsay St

Softball – Queens Park

OLOL/ St Ursula’s Netball Training and Teams
In 2025, OLOL will be offering a new and exciting Netball opportunity involving St Ursula’s experienced and accredited coaches and facilities. The second Monday coaching session will be held on the 24 Feb, at St Ursulas’s from 3.30-5.00pm. Students born 2013, 2014 & 2015 are invited to attend with a team selected to then participate at a variety of carnivals in 2025 (if numbers permit, a second team will be selected). OLOL and St Ursula’s Netball coaches will continue to coach selected players throughout Terms 1-3.

OLOL Swimming Trials & Representative Carnivals
Thank you to the 40+ students who attended the OLOL Swimming Trials. The behaviour and commitment from all swimmers was excellent, with a special thank you to the many parents who attended and assisted. Congratulations to the 31 OLOL swimmers who participated at the Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival. While the boys were competitive, the girls were outstanding with Top 3 placings in over 80% of all races including victories in both the Junior and Senior Girls relays. Best wishes to the 25 OLOL swimmers who will attend the West Zone Swimming Trial in Week 4. After a strong showing at the CSS Carnival, the squad is looking to perform at their best and push for West Zone representation to attend the Darling Downs School Sport Swimming Carnival in Week 6.

Concerns and Questions
If you have any future questions or concerns, always feel free to contact me. I am very keen to ensure the high level of communication previously delivered by Rachel continues and students are given every possible opportunity 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
richard.dugdale2@twb.catholic.edu.au

We are a COMMUNITY of Readers 

Creating a community of readers at Lourdes helps to nurture a lifelong love of learning and enhances literacy skills. By sharing stories, exploring new genres, and engaging in discussions, students develop critical thinking abilities, build empathy for others and enhance creativity. Reading is also a wonderfully calming activity that can help us unwind and relax. According to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF), fostering a reading culture supports children's academic growth and emotional development. Parents, teachers, and students all play a vital role in cultivating an environment where reading is celebrated and cherished. We can help cultivate a community of readers at home by reading together as a family, sharing library books together, allowing your children to see you reading a book for enjoyment, giving the gift of books on special occasions and visit our local library or bookshop.  

Books We Love Display 

Last Friday was Love Your Library Day’ and to celebrate all the wonderful reasons we love the libraries we have been showcasing books that we LOVE at LOURDES in our new “Books We Love” display. Our Lourdes students love picture books – the funnier the better! Be sure to check out what we are ‘loving’ each time you visit.  

Name our Library Monsters! 

We have had some new friends join us in the library this year. Four cute, furry little monsters. They simply appeared, started reading and it seems that they are here to stay! Over the next two weeks we will be inviting students to help us name our new library friends. Winning names will be announced via the next Newsletter. Get creative! The students whose names are chosen will win a book prize. 

AccessIt 

AccessIt is our school library hub. Students will find the full library catalogue, eBooks, links to Britannica, Typing Tournament, Reading Eggs and lots more at: Library & Information Service Bookmark this page on all your family devices.  

Senior Fiction 

Thank you to families for indicating your preference regarding access to the Senior Fiction collection in 2025, via the portal. If you missed the portal cutoff but wish to give permission or would like further information, please email Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au  

Parent Borrowing 

It has been so lovely to see a few new faces, along with some of our regular family borrowers borrowing from the library. Parents are able to borrow an additional x10 books from our library. We are available for loans from 8am – 8:30am Monday to Friday or 3pm – 3:10pm Monday to Thursday.  

Library at Breaks 

We are open during the first break Monday to Friday and at second break on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for students in Year 1 to 6. Students can choose from a range of activities, including reading, colouring, Chess and other board games, lego, completing their homework or project research and more!  

Chess 

Chess Lessons with Mr Les Lord have commenced. We do have 2 spaces available so if your child/ren are interested in learning to play or playing Chess please contact Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au  

Book Club 

Issue 1 orders have been placed and we expect delivery sometime this week. Once the order arrives we will unpack it and get books to students as soon as possible. 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

St Saviour's College

St Ursula's College