Term 2 Week 4 Newsletter - 23.05.25

Principal News

The Feast Day of Our Lady Help of Christians is celebrated annually on May 24th.

This feast day has a significant history, particularly in Australia, where Mary Help of Christians is the principal patroness. We are also very fortunate that Mary Help of Christians is our patroness. 

Our mothers and fathers help us grow, learn, and make decisions about the type of person we want to become. Our heavenly Mary does the same. She invites us to “allow Christ to live in our hearts through faith,” just as she did. We are Blessed to have Mary's guidance and example as a shining light to guide us.

2026 Enrolments

Our 2026 Kinder enrollment applications are almost due. Please take note of the timeline provided. We encourage anyone looking to enrol in Kinder for  2026 to complete the online enrolment as soon as possible.

Playground Plan

As part of our playground review, we will shortly implement a number of changes. These have been developed following feedback and consultation with families, staff, and students. These changes aim to improve our overall playground plan, providing a comfortable space for all students. These changes also support the previous changes in providing a split lunch break (K-3 eat while 4-6 play and vice versa) and plans for taking senior students to the playing fields when weather permits.

The main change involves the creation of playground zones. This includes spaces for quiet play, an allocated space for tips, playing fields for ball games and marked handball courts. To support these changes the following tasks will be completed:

• Lines will be marked on the allocated handball areas
• New basketball ring will be purchased
• Quiet board game activities purchased
• Purchase some new balls to replace the failing ones
• Smaller field marked for K-2
• Using external playing fields where we can e.g. senior PE and House Challenge

The following map highlights the zones. This will be communicated with students and reviewed at the end of this term.

As part of this playground plan the following rules will be introduced, some of these have already been a part of playground expectations but reminders are needed.

• No kicking above shoulder height (any ball)
• No kicking from out of your hands
• No kicking of footballs at all
• No running through the field areas
• Only 4 school balls to be put out (one for each area), this does not include handbells
• No balls to be used for play from home

We also have a number of activities that our teachers have arranged, providing additional options for students to consider, these are follows:

• Monday - Dance (Eisteddfod)
• Tuesday - STEM 
• Wednesday - Dance (Eisteddfod)
• Thursday - Choir

We hope that these plans will continue to improve the spaces that we have to utilise. Should you wish to discuss these plans further, please feel free to contact us.

Good attendance in primary school will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school. 

Good attendance in primary school is a fundamental building block for academic success and overall wellbeing, and it sets the stage for success in high school and beyond. Primary school is the foundational stage of a child's education. Regular attendance ensures that children build a solid understanding of fundamental concepts and skills that serve as the basis for more advanced learning in high school.

By recognising the long-term benefits and reinforcing the importance of regular school attendance in primary years, students are better equipped to succeed in high school and beyond. Attending school regularly instils a sense of responsibility and work ethic in students and participating actively in class are essential components of success.

Mission News

Celebrating Our Lady Help of Christians!

This Saturday, May 24th, marks a very special day for our school community – the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians! This feast honours Mary under a title that reminds us of her constant care and powerful intercession, particularly in times of need.

Our choir will be singing at our Parish mass on Saturday and all families are invited to the mass at 4pm.

As Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, we are so blessed to have Mary as our patroness. We can look to her as a wonderful example of qualities we strive to live out every day in our classrooms and playgrounds:

• Faith: Mary's unwavering faith in God's plan, even when it was challenging, teaches us to trust and believe in ourselves and in God's presence in our lives.

• Love: Her boundless love for Jesus and for all people inspires us to show kindness, compassion, and respect to everyone we meet.

• Service: Mary's humble "yes" to God's call reminds us of the importance of helping others and serving our community with a willing heart.

Let's take a moment this week to reflect on these beautiful qualities of Mary and consider how we can embody them in our interactions, our learning, and our friendships at school. By living out Mary's example, we truly become a community filled with help, hope, and love for one another.

Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day Mass

This morning we traveled to our Parish church to celebrate as a parish school community, the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. A special thank you to Fr Bing for celebrating our mass and the students of Year 4 for being our readers and for leading our offertory procession. 

It was a beautiful mass, and our students were reverent and respectful in our church. We were so proud of them all. Thank you to our families and parishioners who joined us this morning. 

We also celebrated with a cake that was cut by our school captains, which is a special tradition at our school and took our whole school photo. 

Finally, we finished our day with a school disco, thank you DJ Denny for spinning the decks! Photos to come! 

OLHC Winter Appeal

It's very cold, and some people don't have warm beds or blankets. Places like Winsome Soup Kitchen and Vinnies help them by giving them warm clothes and blankets.

In our Catholic faith, we believe in helping each other. It's like being a family – we look after each other. We also believe in helping those who are poor and need our help the most.

Think about how you would feel if you were cold and had nowhere to go. That's why donating to Winsome and Vinnies is so important.

When we give warm clothes, blankets, and toiletries, we show we care. Even a small gift can help someone stay warm and safe.

So, let's be generous and help those in need. Let's support Winsome and Vinnies and help everyone stay warm this winter.

Thank you to our Leaders of Social Justice, Charlotte and Tilly for their work in leading this special appeal!

Making Jesus Real Awards 

KP

Trevor N  -  Your smile and warm, infectious personality brightens every day - Thank you for spreading you wherever you go!

1L 

Chloe Mc  -  For making Jesus Real in our classroom through her willingness to help others without being asked.  Thank you for being a shining light Chloe.

Lily T  -  For bringing the light of Jesus to others through her cheerful acknowledgement and inclusion of others.  Thank you Lily.

2P

Maizie H  -  For always demonstrating Christlike love, kindness, and respect in all interactions.  Your natural calm presence makes our classroom a better place.

3L

Grace B  -  For being a calming presence in our classroom and always being helpful and inclusive to those around her.

4P

Zarli B-P  -  For treating everyone with respect and compassion.  Continue to let your bright spirit shine, Zarl

5P

Isla D  -  For showing the spirit of kindness, compassion, and the love that Jesus teaches us.  You inspire those around you Isla.

6L

Colin W  -  Who lives out the spirit of Jesus through his kindness, respect, and the thoughtful actions towards others.

6P

Mason B  -  Demonstrating dedication and humility, quietly giving his best in everything he does and always offering a helping hand.

Learning & Teaching News

Year 6

English

Year 6 are currently learning about Characterisation through the book called Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief. The students are exploring the development of characters as depicted through their appearance, words, thoughts and actions. They have been experimenting with writing diary entry's from a character's perspective using what they have learnt about how characters are depicted.

Creative Arts

In Creative arts, the students have completed their mask artworks from last term. They look amazing!

6L

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6P

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ICAS 2025 Reminder

We know our students are amazing, so we’re giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year.
  
What is ICAS?  
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.
  
To learn more about this year’s exciting ICAS competition, visit: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/)
  
How to participate in ICAS  
If you wish for your child in Years 2-6 to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to sign up to your chosen subject areas using the link and code below. Please note, students need to able to navigate a computer and read independently in order to be able to complete these assessments. 
 
Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm.
 
Sign up here
shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

Access code
LWX118

 
This year, our students in Years 2-6 can elect to sit the following assessments:

•  English 11-15 Aug $20.95
• Spelling Bee 18-22 Aug $20.95
• Mathematics 25-29Aug $20.95

Please note, we cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.
 
Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf). 

Privacy collection statement  
The following information is a privacy notification about how your child’s data is kept private and secure.

ICAS Assessment is owned by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (We, Us, Our).
To deliver assessment products, Janison will require your child’s School to obtain your consent to provide Janison with certain personal information of students. Janison will collect, store, use, disclose and otherwise deal with such personal information in accordance with its privacy policy (below). We are aware of our responsibility to protect personal information related to children and students from being disclosed when we deliver an ICAS Assessments product. Unless you, as the child’s legal guardian consents, we will not:

• collect any personal information or data of children other than the information we need for the successful completion of an assessment, test, or exam.
• transfer any personal information we obtain from a child in the delivery of assessments and tests to any jurisdiction outside of Australia.
• share any personal information relating to children with any third parties (except for those third parties necessary for us to carry out our Services or provide our Products e.g., medal engraving).
• use any personal information or data relating to children for marketing purposes.

 
You can view our full privacy policy at https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.
We may retain personal information and data relevant to a child for their future purposes or for research purposes by Janison for the duration of the school life cycle of the child. However, if you or your child at any time wish to have their personal information or data removed from our systems, they or you may opt out by simply contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@janison.com or by contacting icasassessments@janison.com.
 
We are proud to be offering ICAS to our students this year and encourage you to consider entering your child. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.  
 

OLHC Achievement Awards 

KP

Charlie M  -  For the persistence you show when completing your learning.  You always try your best.  Keep it up Charlie!

Larayah A  -  For your persistence in learning new sounds so that you can segment and blend.  Keep it up Larayah!

Maddison B  -  For always demonstrating beautiful handwriting when writing your sounds.  Keep up the great work Maddie!

1L

Oscar R  -  For his dedication  and commitment to learning which has resulted in significant growth and confidence.  You're a learning superstar Oscar.

Morgan F  -  For positive engagement in his learning, resulting in improved results.  Keep up the great work Morgan.

Emma P  -  For her consistent focus and effort as a learner to produce pleasing results in English.  You're on fire now Emma, Keep it up.

Jaxon E  -  For growth in confidence to speak up in class discussions.  We love to hear your insights and thinking Jaxon.

2P

Ethan B  -  For sharing your thoughts, ideas and connections in class with confidence and expression.  Keep up the great work Ethan?

Rocky P  -  For outstanding thinking skills, perseverance, and creativity in solving tricky maths problems.  Your clever strategies make you a true maths star!

Liam R  -  For a wonderful start to term 2.  You have been focused and applying yourself to all learning tasks.  Well done Liam!

Marlow T  -  You have demonstrated exceptional creativity in writing your acrostic poem!  Your writing shows a strong understanding of poetic structure and imagination.

3L

Cooper E  -  For the wonderful improvement in your handwriting this term! It is amazing to see the thought and care you are putting into your work overall.

Wyatt P  -  For participating enthusiastically in class discussion and continuing to be focused in all subjects areas.  Keep up the great work, Wyatt!

4P

Spencer S  -  For his improved understanding of the number system and how it expands infinitely in both very large and very small numbers.

Reuben T  -  For applying spelling rules to your writing!  Your hard work is paying off,  and it shows in the clarity and accuracy of your text.  Keep up the fantastic effort!

5L

Brody B  -  For consistently working hard on all tasks and having amazing organisational skills.  Thanks foe always lending a helping hand, Brody.

Mason E  -  For your positive attitude towards all areas of school.  You are shining bright, Mason.  Keep up the great work!

Isabella F  -  For your positive attitude towards all tasks.  Your smile lights up our room, Issy! Keep shining bright!

Mason Mc  -  For a fantastic start to Term 2.  Mason you are consistently trying your best and embracing new challenges.  Keep up the great work!

5P

Tyler N  -  For approaching each day with a positive attitude and the cheerful way you interact with Classmates and teachers.  Thank you for being a star Tyler.

Blake P  -  For making responsible and thoughtful learning choices, you have had a fantastic start to the term Blake.  We are proud of you!

Taetum S-B  -  For showing positive growth in your ability to make thoughtful and intentional learning choices.  Great job Taetum,  kepp up the great work!

6L

Ryder H  -  Demonstrating an outstanding work ethic and a consistent commitment to his learning every day.  Well done Ryder!

Noah M  -  Approaching mathematics with confidence and curiosity, consistently demonstrating hard work and commitment in each lesson.

6P

Charlotte F  -  For consistently demonstrating academic dedication to completing all tasks to a high standard.

Scarlett J  -  For crafting vivid and highly descriptive similes and skillfully using hyperbole during English

Sports News

Athletics Carnival: 

The Our Lady Help of Christians Athletics Carnival is set to be held on the 27th of June (Friday Week 9) at Riverview Park. Like previous years students will participate in a range of track and field events. Students in the 8 years age group and up will be eligible to progress to the Richmond Zone Carnival which will be held on the 31st of July at Woodlawn. 

Students will have the option to nominate for the 1500m and the 800m, the 1500m will occur prior to the day of the Athletics Carnival at Rover’s (Nielson Park) and the 800m will be the first race of the day at the Athletics Carnival. 

Students will also have the option to nominate for either competitive or non-competitive shot put and long jump, only students who nominate for the competitive event can progress to the Richmond Zone Carnival.  This will help us to get through the events quicker and allow us to stick to our event schedule. 

Nomination forms will be sent home next week.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at zachary.denny@lism.catholic.edu.au

Zone Qualifications 

100m - Top 3 students in 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13yrs 

200m - Top 3 students x Jnr (8-10), 11yrs, Snr (12-13) (timed events) 

800m/1500m - 2 students x Jnr (8-10), 11yrs, Snr (12-13) (timed events) 

Long jump & Shot put - 2 students x Jnr (8-10), 11yrs, Snr (12-13) 4 x 100m 

Relay - 1 Senior (11-13) and Junior (8-10) relay Boys and Girls (based on the times of the 100m finals i.e. fastest 4 times qualify) 

Discuss and High jump: 

If your child trains for high jump or discus and would like to compete. They will need to complete a nomination form which is signed off by their coach. Send me an email at zachary.denny@lism.catholic.edu.au if you would like a nomination form.

Colour House Sporting Competition: 

Students in Years 3 to 6 will be involved in a colour house sporting competition in Terms 2 and 3. Students will walk to Rover's fields to participate in the sport which they have elected for (Touch Football, Soccer or Social Walking). Students are to come in their school uniform on these days with a school hat and water bottle. If students would like to they may wear their colour house shirt. The competition will occur on Friday afternoon of these weeks: 

Term 2: 

Week 6 

Week 8 

Term 3:

Week 2 

Week 4 

Week 6 

Community News

Our next Sensory Screening will be on Sunday 1^St June 2025 at 2:30pm, featuring the family-friendly film LILO & STITCH rated PG.