Term 2 Week 5 Newsletter - 31.05.24
Principal News
Last week we returned to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time in the church and the Sunday Masses are designated as solemnities, special days that bring our attention to the central mysteries of our faith. On Sunday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast invites us to consider what we believe about God, who has revealed himself to us in the Trinity, one God in three Persons. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus departed from his disciples, he shared with them the power to go out and make disciples of all nations. He taught his disciples to invite others to share in the life of the blessed Trinity by sharing with others the gift of Baptism. This continues to be our mission of inviting others to share in God’s love.
Proclaim Lismore 2024
On Wednesday 29th May, OLHC staff joined around 500 staff members from our Richmond Cluster of schools for Proclaim 2024 at Xavier Catholic College, Skennars Head.
The day was a mixture of praise and worship with Wildfire, mass celebrated by Fr Peter Slack along with the 2 guest speakers Dr Maeve Heaney and Roby Curtis. Dr Heaney is renowned for her expertise in theological. Roby is the Director of Emmanuel City Mission in Brisbane and brings a wealth of experience in advocating for the homeless and the marginalised.
In 2013, over 2000 staff in our diocese came together to discuss the future of Catholic Education. A fire was lit that day! It was a time to reflect of the mission that we have been entrusted with as Catholic educators.
What if it were true that we are not here by accident?
What if it were true that we are here because we have been called to be?
I believe that is it no accident that our staff at OLHC are here. They have each been called to make a difference for our children. A difference that they make everyday. In today's world being a teacher is not one of the most esteemed or highly regarded professions. It is however, a vocation in which we have the ability to help shape the future, to help make a difference, to be the change in our world that we need and wish to see.
I am so proud of our staff and the difference that they each make for our children and families. OLHC is a very special place. One that is not determined by buildings, bricks and mortar, but rather the people who have been called to serve and make a difference each day.
Is My Child Being Bullied?
What are the signs?
Each individual student who has been bullied or is bullying others will respond and act differently. A student's behaviours and moods can also change for a variety of reasons. An important first step is to notice a change in behaviour.
Signs a parent may notice can include but are not limited to:
● not wanting to go to school
● changes to their method or route to school, or are frightened of walking to school
● changes in sleep patterns
● changes in eating patterns
● frequent tears, anger, mood swings
● unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches
● missing or damaged belongings or clothes
● arriving home hungry
(Source: Bullying NoWay!)
What could my actions be?
1. Listen and Validate: The first step is to stay calm and try to get all the facts through an open and supportive conversation with your child. Listen to their experiences without judgment and validate their feelings. Let them know that you believe and support them. While it may be a case of bullying, it might also be the result of poor communication by one or both children.
2. Reassure Your Child: Reassure your child that they deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Remind them that you are there to help.
3. Problem Solve: Sometimes, as a first step, your child may just want some advice about how to manage the situation. Discuss the things your child has already done to try to solve the problem and suggest other things they might try.
4. Document: At other times it is important that action is taken immediately. Help your child create a simple timeline including when it started and important details such as location, what happened and the names of any bystanders. This documentation can be helpful when talking to the school and/ or police.
5. Talk to the school: If you suspect your child is experiencing bullying at school, provide the school with the specific incidents or experiences. It is important for the school to know as many details as possible. Request a meeting to support your child. Work with the school to solve the problem. Encourage your child to report any further bullying incidents to a teacher.
6. Ongoing Communication: Remember that addressing bullying requires ongoing communication, support, and advocacy for your child. Always prioritise your child's safety and wellbeing, and work in collaboration with the school to find a resolution to the bullying situation.
7. Cyberbullying: Often harmful online content can be removed by the site, game or app used to send it. eSafety may be able to help remove the content if it is likely to harm your child’s physical or mental health. Report to eSafety using this link.
8. Nurture your child’s strengths and interests. Provide a variety of opportunities for your child to explore different activities, sports, arts, and hobbies. Let them try different things to discover what they enjoy the
most. Help your child connect with peers who have similar passions.
When should I contact the police?
Some forms of bullying involve criminal offences, including repeatedly bullying someone if it is likely to cause that person physical or mental harm, including self-harm, threats to kill or harm someone, property damage or theft, texting, e-mailing or posting sexual images. Contact police if bullying involves a criminal offence.
School Fees
As we approach the half way mark of the term, we kindly remind you to settle any outstanding school fees. Timely payment helps us maintain the quality of education and support various activities for our students.
Should you require any assistance or have concerns regarding fees, please do not hesitate to contact the school and we will always work together to find a solution.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
What am I doing?
Knowing what is happening at the end of the school day is important for our children and allows them to focus on their learning instead of worrying about who is picking them up, am I meant to be on the bus or am I going to after school care.
The school office is often inundated with students not knowing how they are getting home and what they are meant to do. This can cause a lot of confusion, worry and add to an already very busy time in the office in the afternoon.
There will always be unexpected events that change our plans but it would be a great support for students to know what is happening in the afternoon as best as possible.
Mission News
Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day - 24th May
Each year on the 24th May we celebrate the patron saint of our school, Our Lady Help of Christians. Patron saints are special friends of God and so we pray to them, asking them to intercede on our behalf for God to hear our prayers.
This year we celebrated our Feast Day with a beautiful liturgy led by Year 1. Praying a decade of the Rosary was a powerful community prayer and the way our Year 1 leaders led the whole liturgy was so very special. A special thank you to Mrs Parker, Mrs Sheridan, Mrs Fry and Mrs Lee and their students for organising and leading such a meaningful celebration of our Patron Saint!
Our Stage 3 students attended our Parish mass. We were commended on our students engagement, reverence and singing in the mass by our supportive and wonderful parishioners.
Each of our classes engaged in learning around, Mary, Help of Christians and the history of our school. It was a wonderful day celebrating our Parish school community. We also celebrated with our traditional cut by our youngest student, Frankie S-A, whose family has a long tradition at OLHC!
We are very grateful to the Parishioners of South Lismore over 100 years ago who chose Mary to be the patron saint of our Parish.
Year 2 Pentecost Liturgy
The Holy Spirit came to the disciples on Pentecost. God the Father and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help and guide the Church. The Holy Spirit is still with us today.
On Friday of Week 3, our Year 2 leaders shared a wonderful liturgy with our school community celebrating Pentecost. The students made flames of courage that they wore proudly as they each participated in the liturgy. They also made larger flames that they gave to each of our classes to be displayed in the classroom to remind them of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Well done to Year 2 and thank you to Ms De Chalain and Katie for preparing the students so well for this special celebration.
Accendere - Student Discipleship Retreat
Throughout the year our Year 4-6 students are offered the opportunity for student discipleship through Diocesan retreat days. Our Year 6 students may attend the Incitare Retreat, Year 5, the Exuro Retreat and all Year 4 students participate in the Accendere Retreat. These retreats allow our students to celebrate their faith and are a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who practise their faith.
In Week 4, our Year 4 students were invited to attend Accendere with Ministry Students from Trinity Catholic College. The theme of the day was being a good friend like Jesus. Accendere means to ‘switch on’, kindle to catch fire, light to strike, to produce/spark the flame.
Our students participated in many activities that answered the questions What makes a good friend? How did Jesus treat his friends? Who is my neighbour? And how to be a good friend?
We thank Mr Tory Puglisi and his Year 10 Ministry students for their exceptional leadership and organisation of the event. Our students had the most wonderful day and learned so much!
Making Jesus Real Awards
KP
Jaxon E - Always being caring, respectful and considerate of others. You always let your light shine Jaxon.
1L
Thea B - For your calm composure and gentleness you bring to learning and play. Keep shining bright Thea.
2P
Ethan R - For your kind thoughts and actions when others need a helping hand
3L
Spencer S - For showing incredible flexibility and kindness by including others in your games. Your inclusive spirit make a positive impact on those around you!
4L
Dominic R - For bringing a gentle and responsible nature to our classroom and always interacting positively with others. Keep shining your light Dom!
4P
Isabella F - For always demonstrating such a positive attitude when you come in the classroom door. Your calm and composed nature has a ripple effect on those you work with.
5L
Quintin F - For embodying the compassion and empathy of Jesus while extending friendship to those in need. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.
5P
Mason B - For your outstanding dedication to helping others. Your kindness has made a positive impact on our class family. You reflect the face of Jesus everyday Mason.
6P
Violet M - For the way you are growing in confidence and becoming a great leader in our classroom. Keep shining your light.
Emily P - For giving your own time to ensure our classroom is clean and fresh. We appreciate your kind efforts Emily, Thank you!
Learning & Teaching
Kindergarten working hard and enjoying their InitiaLit activities.
Year 1 writing persuasive statements from 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus'.
Year 2 planning and creating their town maps for Geography.
Year 3 creating maps in Maths and learning about directions
Year 4 are learning about directional language and fractions and had to direct their friends through mazes
Year 5 are experimenting with voice to create an imovie of their favourite picture book in drama
Year 6 are experimenting with voice to create an imovie of their favourite picture book in drama
OLHC Achievement Awards
KP
Maggie Q - For always taking care and pride in your artworks. You are very creative Maggie!
Clara N - For being and incredibly focused and settled learner. You have been working very hard Clara. Keep it up.
James P - For focusing on being a successful independent learner. Keep it up James!
1L
Maizie H - For your consistent effort towards improving your handwriting to make your message more accessible to your reader. Well done Maizie.
Luka O'D - For being a supportive learning partner who strives to extend your knowledge and problem solve as a team. Great work Luka!
Liam R - For your consistent effort to apply all sound knowledge when reading to improve fluency - Keep up the great work Liam!
Marlow T - For composing interesting texts that reflect application of learning to engage your reader. Great work Marlow!
2P
Felix K - For your consist application in completing some amazing work during InitiaLit lessons. Keep up the great work!
Wyatt P - For your creative and artistic oral and written English responses when creating our class poem.
3L
Oliver D - For making insightful connections between different concepts in Mathematics. Keep working hard Ollie!
Darcy S - For approaching science concepts with enthusiasm and making insightful connections that deepen your understanding. Keep exploring and discovering!
4L
Taze P - For your effort to improve your knowledge of multiplication and division strategies. Keep up the great work Taze!
Anika B - For your insightful contributions during English lessons. It has been great to here your thoughts Anika!
4P
Felicity F - For your understanding of Fact families and the relationship between multiplication and division facts. A great achievement Flic!
Rhett P - For the excellent effort you put into our multimodel text on Jupiter. Your use of the BIU wall resulted in an engaging piece for your audience.
5L
Patrick C - For your effective use of multiplicative stratergies to enhance effiency, this award celebrates your dedication to mastering mathematical concepts.
Brayden Mc - For your improved focus and dedication to your learning. Well done Brayden!
5P
Oscar B - For your thoughtful contributions to class discussions. Keep up the great work, Oscar!
Charlotte F - For your outstanding achievement with applying the Area Model to solve challenging multiplication questions. Well done, Charlotte!
6P
Xavier B - For reflecting on your learning and recogising what you need to do to improve. Keep being amazing, Xavier!
Robert G - For the enthusiasm you demonstrate during class discussions and learning activities. Thank you for having the courage to 'have a go'. You are a star, Robbie!
Sports News
At OLHC, we love celebrating the sporting achievements of all our students. If your child has a special achievement that you would love for us to share with the school community, please send any photos and a short paragraph outlining their achievement to Mrs McCarthy - haylee.mccarthy@lism.catholic.edu.au
Tyler Neale - Go Carting
Tyler started Go Kart Racing in 2023 at the Lismore Kart Club. Fast forward to 2024 and he has raced in places like Warwick & Toowoomba. He will travel to Coffs Harbour & Bundaberg later this year. Tyler got 3rd place at his last local club race and is currently coming 4th in the City Vs Country Series championship. He loves nothing more than a weekend at the track.
If you're interested in learning more about Go Carting, make sure you find Tyler in the playground and I'm sure he would love to share everything he knows about this great sport.
We are so proud of you Tyler. Keep up the great racing.
Charles Dawson- Rodeo
It takes a lot of courage to be a bull rider but that is exactly what Charles did at the Casino Beef Week Rodeo. Charles had an amazing ride staying on the whole 8 seconds and finishing in first place. Well done Charles. You are much braver than I am!
Diocesan Cross Country
On Tuesday the 21st of May we had 3 students participate in the Diocesan Cross Country in Grafton. The day ran extremely smoothly and although the race track was a tough course the children proudly competed in their races. Congratulations to the following students who represented our school. I was so extremely proud of them on the day.
11 years Girls - 3km - Harper Jasmin - 3rd place
11 years Girls - 3km - Bailey Newton - 14th place
11 years Boys - 3km - Mason Box
Congratulations to Harper who will attend the Polding Cross Country next Wednesday the 5th of June. As a school, we are cheering you on all the way to the finish line.
Athletics Carnival
Our annual school athletics carnival will take place on Friday the 14th of June at Riverview Park. The students will travel by bus to and from Riverview Park. Please ensure you approve the Compass Event by Thursday the 13th of June.
Students who are turning 8 years and above this year can compete in the competitive events.
1500m Race
Students aged 8-12/13yrs who finished in the top 5 at the OLHC Cross Country have been invited to participate in the 1500m event. This will take place on Tuesday the 11th of June at Nelison Park (Rovers soccer fields), East Lismore. We will depart (walk) from school at 10:45am. If you would like to walk with the group to the field please meet Mrs McCarthy outside the office at 10:40am. This event should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Students will compete in divisions for this event; Junior (8-10yrs), 11yrs and Seniors (12/13yrs). The top students in each event will be invited to attend the Richmond Zone Athletics Carnival. Parents are welcome to attend. The order of events is as follows:
- 8-10yrs Boys and Girls.
- 11yrs Boys and Girls
- 12/13yrs Boys and Girls
High Jump and Discus
If your child trains and competes competitively in either High Jump or Discus, please note that these two events will only be held at the Diocesan level. A nomination form will need to be completed and this must be signed off by their coach. Please send me an email or have your child see me if they require a nomination form.
Leaders of Sport
This fortnight, Cooper and Harper interviewed Oliver and Harlee about their favourite sport.
2024 - Events
Please note that these dates may change due to weather or circumstances that we can not control.
Term Two
- Wednesday the 5th of June - NSWCPS Cross Country, SIEC
- Friday the 14th of June - OLHC Athletics Carnival, Riverview Park
Term Three
- Thursday the 1st of August - Richmond Zone Athletics Carnival, Lismore
- Friday the 16th of August - DIO Athletics Carnival, Lismore/Coffs
- Friday the 30th of August - Richmond Zone Gala Day
Term Four
- Monday the 4th of November - Richmond Zone Tennis Summer Sports Trials (Years 4 and 5 ONLY)
- Wednesday the 6th of November - Richmond Zone Cricket Summer Sports Trials (Years 4 and 5 ONLY)
- Thursday the 7th of November - Richmond Zone Touch Football Summer Sports Trials (Years 4 and 5 ONLY)
- Tuesday the 26th of November - DIO Tennis Summer Sports Trials, Lismore (Years 4 and 5 ONLY)
- Friday the 29th of November - DIO Cricket, Softball, Touch Football and Basketball Summer Sports Trials, Lismore (Years 4 and 5 ONLY)
- TBC - OLHC Swimming Carnival
School News
Community News
