Term 2 Week 1 Newsletter -3.5.24

Principal News

Start of Term Prayer

Dear Jesus

As we begin a new term, we give you our school. We give you all the teachers and staff who work here, we give you all the children who learn and play here as part of our parish school family. We pray our school will be place of growing, adventure and creativity. May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love, a place where everyone is respected and valued, a place where the risen Christ is visible through everything that we do.

We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Welcome Back

We were very excited to be back with our students on Monday morning. It was great to hear of all the wonderful adventures our families had over the holidays and to see so many happy faces and smiles as our children walked through the front gate. We trust that you are all very excited to have your children back at school!

I would like to thank our staff and students for the way they finished the first term. In Week 11, celebrating what it means to be a part of our OLHC community and also Catholic Education as a whole. It was an incredible week to finish the term and a reminder of the hard work and dedication that leads to our school being such a success for our children. 

We have enjoyed an extremely positive start to the term with classes settled and students focused on their learning and supporting each other. We are all set for another big term of loving, growing and learning and official reporting on student progress will be in Week 9 with Report Cards being sent home.

Thank you for all the support you give your children, our staff and the school. It is only through working together that we will continue to see our children achieve the fullness of life.

ANZAC Day

Thank you to students, staff and families who supported our school at the local ANZAC Day march. We certainly turned out in good numbers and it is always special to come together as a school community to support those who have served our country. I was incredibly proud of all our children for the way in which they represented themselves and our school. 

They sacrificed their tomorrow so that we can live our today! 

Child Safeguarding-Child Protection

Children and young people have a fundamental right to grow, develop and feel safe in
environments that are free from violence, exploitation and harm. Our parish school has clear expectations that all students will be protected from all forms of harm including sexual, physical and psychological harm as well as ill-treatment and neglect.

As a school, we commit to fostering a community of safeguarding that recognises and upholds the dignity and rights of all children and young people in our school. Our commitment is drawn from the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, in love and justice, whereby the dignity and sacredness of each child is respected. 

We all have certain responsibilities and expectations to ensure the safety and protection of children in our care, including supporting measures to ensure that children and young people will be taught how to protect themselves, and to seek help if they are concerned about their safety. 

Our Child Protection Policy aims to:
I.    Clarify the expectations of employees who work in child related employment;
II.  Provide a safe and supportive environment for children and employees; and
III. Build and maintain a contemporary Catholic workplace that is safe, respectful, professional and legally compliant.

The care and protection of children and young people is paramount. All staff at OLHC are Mandatory Reporters and are required to report if they have any concern regarding the safety, welfare or well-being of a student.

Parents are also reminded that our Concerns and Complaints policy is available on the school website and can be located via the link below.

Child Protection Policy

Concerns and Complaints

Child Safeguarding Website

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited (DLCSL) has launched a Child Safeguarding website as part of our commitment to implementing the Child Safe Standards. It contains information on Child Safe Standards, our Commitment Statement, a contact form for concerns or inquiries, and other useful links and resources.

The website can also be accessed through the "Parent Information" tab on our school website. We encourage you to visit the website to understand our commitment to building a school where every child feels valued, heard, and protected.

At the heart of Catholic Education lies a commitment to the wellbeing and safety of every student. Over the next 10 weeks, we will share some resources to support all children and parents to share conversations around friendships and bullying.

What is Bullying?

Understanding bullying helps students and parents distinguish between regular conflicts and actual bullying. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that the right help is given when needed. It can also empower you as parents to engage in prevention efforts proactively. By teaching your children about respectful behaviour, empathy, dignity, courage, and inclusion, parents can help prevent bullying from occurring in the first place.

Bullying refers to the unwanted, repeated and intentional use of words or actions against a student or a group of students to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. Watch What is bullying?

Bullying means behaviour that has three (3) key features:

1. It involves the intentional misuse of power in a relationship;
2. It is ongoing and repeated; and
3. It involves behaviours that can cause harm.
   

A student can acquire power through advantage, such as social status, popularity, an advantage in size and strength, number of allies, age, skill, or membership in a socially defined dominant group, which could be based, for example, on wealth or gender.

Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:

1. Mutual arguments and disagreements;
2. Not liking someone or a single act of social rejection;
3. A single episode of hurtful words or actions
4. Isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation and/or violence
   

Indirect bullying (also known as covert bullying) is not always immediately observable and
acknowledged as bullying. Indirect bullying can be discreet and anonymous, and the
person experiencing the bullying behaviour may not realise it until after it has occurred.

Examples of indirect bullying include:

• Spreading rumours: Sharing false or harmful information about someone to tarnish their reputation.
• Gossiping: Engaging in negative discussions about a person without their knowledge.
• Social manipulation: Encouraging others to exclude or reject a person from social groups.
• Cyberbullying: Using digital platforms to harass, intimidate, or spread harmful content about a person.
• Stealing: Discreetly and repeatedly stealing personal belongings
  

When parents understand what bullying entails, they can effectively communicate with their child about their experiences at school, in the community and online. By using the correct terminology and understanding the dynamics of bullying, parents can encourage open dialogue and provide the necessary support.

Watch Bullying and Conflict with your child.

Mission News

Parish News

Father Peter has advised that he will be taking leave from our Parish for three months as he takes personal leave to look after his health.

We ask all our families to keep Father Peter in their prayers as we await his return to our Parish in the coming months.

ANZAC Day Liturgy

ANZAC Day is a day when Australians and New Zealanders remember and honour those who fought and died for freedom. We gather not to glorify war but to remember those who have served our country during times of crisis and to reflect upon their selfless sacrifice.  Conscious that there are many men and women around the world still working for peace, we hold fast to the powerful hope that peace can exist today. 

Thank you to Mrs Innes and Year 6 for their beautiful liturgy on Monday. The commemoration was moving and all students were incredibly reverent and respectful during the liturgy. We are so proud of the wonderful leaders we have in Year 6.

Welcome to the Family!

Congratulations and welcome to the Catholic family Aleena and Henry who were Baptised during the holidays.

May you always remember your Baptism day, and may God's joy, love and peace fill you through all your tomorrows!

Faith in Action

Our Leader of Ministry, Laini L came back to school looking a little different after these holidays! Laini donated her beautiful hair to the Wigs 4 Kids Campaign. By this wonderful donation, Laini helped a child with cancer to feel more confident!

Thank you Laini for being the face of Jesus and inspiring our community. We are very proud of you!

Year 1 - Rosary

Year 1 have been high achievers in Religious Education since they began school last year, but this week they have outdone themselves and have begun learning how to pray the Rosary. They have mastered all prayers that are set out for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 so were looking for something else and what better to pray than the Rosary during the Month of May!

Making Jesus Real Awards 

KP

Leo R  -  For the kind and gentle way you go about your day with your peers.  You're a great friend Leo, keep letting your light shine!

1L 

Milla C  -  For making Jesus real by being an inclusive classmate who makes sure everyone feels valued.  Keep shining bright

2P

Hudson F  -  For being a polite and thoughtful class member who is considerate to others.

3L

Charles D  -For always demonstrating kindness and compassion to those around you.  Your commitment to living out the teachings of Jesus does not go unnoticed.

4L

Nash B  -  For welcoming everyone with a smile each day and being an inclusive friend.  Thank you for brightening our days.

4P

Blake P  -  For always being ready to lend a helping hand in the classroom and around the school.  Thank you for being someone we can count on for a job well done!

5L

Oliver B  -  For consistently being encouraging and inclusive towards others and always on task.  Keep being a beaming light!

5P

Elizabeth B  -  For always greeting teachers and students with a welcoming smile.  Keep shining your light, Ellie!

6P

Cooper J  -  For growing in confidence to stand up  for what is right and be a leader.  Thank you, Cooper!

Learning & Teaching

Kindergarten enjoyed hefting classroom objects to measure mass.

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Year 1 had fun making a human number line. Then they used the balancing scales to find objects with equal mass.

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Year 2 excitedly created the illustrations for the paragraphs they wrote.

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Year 3 have been brainstorming what they know about insects

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Year 4 are creating a slideshow about ANZAC day

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Year 5 have created multimodal texts.

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Year 6 are learning about sustainable farming in Science

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OLHC Achievement Awards 

KP

Oscar R  -  For the dedication you show when achieving a goal.  You are working so hard on your sounds Oscar, Keep it up!

Jaxen O  -  For a positive attitude towards learning and focusing on being a great listener.  You're a superstar Jax!

1L

Charlotte C  -  For being a mature learner who shows commitment to all learning tasks.  Keep it up Charlotte.

Milla D  -  For working diligently to improve your word and sound knowledge and applying these skills to your reading and writing.

Alexander N  -  For applying all your sounds knowledge to compose engaging texts using more accurate spelling choices.  Great work Alexander!

Rocky P  -  For extending yourself during mathematics tasks and cleary explaining the strategies you used to find the answer.

2P

Alyssa J  -  For your remarkable growth in writing and great use of full stops and capital letters especially when creating a papragraph.  Wonderful work!

Cody S  -  For your mathematical thinking and justifing your answers in maths lessons.  Keep up the great work!

3L

Cleo F  -  For your determination and willingness to succeed duringduring our Maths lessons.  You are an inspiration to us all Cleo!

Lenny H  -  For your happy and positive attitude towards learning.  Your constant positivity and contagious smile make our school a brighter place every day.

4L

Alby S  -  For composing a well structured informative report on the life cycle of stars.  Well done Alby.

Harriett J  -  For your insightful contribution to our Mats lessons, it has been great to hear you thinking.  Well done Harriett.

4P

Taetum P  -  For the care and focus you are putting into the presentation of all your schoolwork.  What a great achievement, you should be so proud, Taetum!

Rhett P  -  For the consistant effort you are putting into all areas of your schoolwork.  Keep up the great effort Rhett!

5L

Archie S  -  For applying feedback to improve your writing.  Well done on a quality piece of writing!

Isaac S  -  For an engaging and well-structured narrative text.  Well done Isaac!

5P

Bly B  -  For her effort and attention to detail when planning and writing her multimodel text.  Keep up the great work, Bly!

Kaden S  -  For his hard work and growth with his spelling and writing.  Well done Kaden!

6P

Ava O  -  For pushing yourself to attempt tasks that are challenging for you.  Your positive attitude is inspiring, Ava!

Marni V  -  For always trying your best to complete challenging learning tasks.  You are a star, Marni!

School News

Term 2 E-Safety Parent Webinars

There are a number of free opportunities for parents to lean more about how to keep your children safe online. Please see the details below: 

eSafety 101: How eSafety Can Help 

This webinar provides an overview of the eSafety Commissioner and supporting programs and resources for parents and carers, children and young people.Suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and secondary school. 

Tuesday, 14 May: 12:30 pm
Thursday, 6 June: 12:30 pm

Register here for eSafety 101

Wellbeing and Digital Technologies 

An overview of strategies to protect, respond to and support your child online. This webinar will focus on the digital skills to protect and support young people’s mental health and wellbeing online. 

Suitable for parents and carers of young people in secondary school. 

Thursday, 16 May: 12:30 pm
Tuesday, 4 June: 2:00 pm

Register here for Wellbeing and Digital Technologies

Consent and Online Boundaries

As children begin to navigate the online world, they need to know how to make decisions around consent and boundaries. This webinar will outline strategies for parents and carers, as well as support those hard-to-have conversations.

It is suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.

Tuesday, 28 May: 12:30 pm
Tuesday, 18 June: 12:30 pm

Register here for Consent and Online Boundaries

Setting your Child up for Success Online 

An overview of having conversations about tech and online interaction, putting boundaries and rules in place, using parental controls, and monitoring your child online.

It's suitable for parents and carers of children primary school.

Thursday, 30 May: 12:30 pm
Thursday, 20 June: 12:30 pm

Register here for Setting your Child up for Success Online

This day is a great opportunity for families to walk to school together and have conversations about road safety, focussing on the key road safety messages.

Here are some tips to help make walking to school a regular part of your routine:

Plan your route: Take some time to plan the safest and most convenient route to walk to school. Consider pedestrian crossings, footpaths, and traffic lights.

Set a schedule: Decide on the days and times you'll walk to school each week. Consistency is key to forming a new habit. Try to stick to your schedule as much as possible.

Safety first:

ALWAYS hold your child’s hand until they are at least 8 years old. Closely supervise them until they are at least 10 years old.

ALWAYS hold your child's hand:

• when on the footpath
• when crossing the road or
• when in a car park

Teach your child about being a safe pedestrian: This includes watching out for driveways, walking facing traffic when there are no footpaths and always Stop, Look, Listen, Think, everytime you cross the road.

Avoid distractions: Set a good example by putting your phone away. Focus on your surroundings. If you need to use your phone, stop in a safe place.

Make it fun: Keep the walks enjoyable by talking about what you see and about your day. This can help make the time go quickly and make walking to school something your child looks forward to.

Join forces: Coordinate with other families in your neighbourhood to walk to school together. Not only does this make it more fun for the kids, but it also provides additional safety in numbers.

Celebrate achievements: Celebrate achievements along the way to keep motivation high. Whether it's reaching a certain number of walks or noticing improvements in fitness, acknowledging progress can help reinforce the habit.

Practise, Practise, Practise: The more supervised pedestrian experiences your child can get the better, so they will be ready to safely travel by themselves when they are older.

Sports News

OLHC Cross Country

On Friday the 11th of April, Our Lady Help of Christians Cross Country was held at Hepburn Park.

It was a wonderful day! It was great to see so many happy faces from students and families on the day. Well done to everyone who participated and gave it their best. It was wonderful to witness such great sportsmanship throughout the event. Congratulations to MacKillop who were the House Championship winners for the Cross Country. 

Age Champions

Well done to the students who were placed in the top 5 in the 8 Years to 12/13 Years age group. These students will now represent our school at the Richmond Zone Cross Country on Tuesday the 7th (Term 2, Week 2) of May at Hepburn Park. Mrs Rose and Mrs Hutley will supervise the students on the day.

Champions

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Cross Country Carnival

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Cooper Quinn - Dirt Track Racing

Cooper traveled to Kurri Kurri on Friday the 12th of April to contend for NSW State titles in Dirt Track racing. After a thrilling race and a challenging start in his first title attempt, Cooper came from 2nd last to pass the field and challenge for the win with current Aussie #1 to secure 2nd place in NSW Dirt Track championship in Divi2 50cc 7 to 9s. He was placed 2nd in the Nsw State Championship Divi2 50cc, and 5th in the Nsw State Championship 7to9 65cc.

Well done Cooper we are all very proud of your effort and results.

Leaders of Sport 

This fortnight, Cooper and Harper interviewed Jack and Sophie about their favourite sport.

Community News