OLHC News Issue 25 Term 3 Week 6 - 23rd August 2024
Our Lady Help of Christians is a Child Safe School and is committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Japagulk peoples as the traditional custodians of the land upon which our school was built.
Principal Report
Dear Parents and Friends of Our Lady's,
Today we celebrated Book Week with our annual dress-up parade. The children (and staff!) all came dressed as characters from their favorite books and were able to share with those parents who could join us the reason they chose to dress as they did. It was wonderful to see the joy that good books bring to our students and to see the wide range of genres that were represented.
Reading, together is Religious Education, is the most important thing we do at Our Lady's. This is because reading impacts all other subjects, including mathematics, and allows our students to access learning for the rest of their lives. The old saying is true: "First you learn to read, then you read to learn." The skills of a good reader enable them to learn about the world around them, to grow in knowledge, and to form their character with the aid of the best that has been thought and said.
I encourage all in our school community to read good books and to share these with our students. Our littlest students can read with their ears as adults share bedtime stories, and our older students are more than capable of reading quality literature and discussing it with adults. This builds their knowledge, social skills, moral character, and vocabulary but most of all, it is just good fun.
I'm looking forward to seeing Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, Mothers or other special friends at the upcoming Fathers' Day Breakfast. These occasions where we can celebrate and thank those closest to our students' hearts are so special, and I hope many with be able to join us.
All the very best,
Chris McCumstie
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
Book Week 'Dress Up Day'
Enjoy some of the Book Week photos from our annual parade! More are on the school's Facebook page.
Father's Day Breakfast
Black Ranges Athletics
Black Ranges Athletics will be held on Thursday, 5th September at Stawell.
Seven of our students have qualified to compete at the next level.
- Kaden - 200m and discus
- Eddie - Triple Jump
- Andre - Relay
- Nihal - Triple Jump and Relay
- Charlotte - 100m, Triple Jump and Relay
- Eimer - 200m, Triple Jump and Relay
- Kirat - 100m, 200m, Relay
Parents are responsible for transporting their child to and from the Black Ranges Athletics and supervising them on the day, making sure they are ready for their events.
Information has been sent home, and the Permission Form is on Simon.
Child Safety
Our Lady Help of Christians is a Child Safe School. We implement the 11 Child Safe Standards, and work to embed these in our school culture. Our newsletter is just one place among a number where we educate our community about Child Safety. Below is a concise and helpful guide to the Child Safe Standards. The Child Safety Officer at OLHC is Chris McCumstie, and he can be contacted for information at any time.
principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au
Child Safe Standard 3:
OLHC prioritises Child Safety, and informs children about the way they can be supported in staying safe. We regularly remind children about being safe, who they can speak to if they feel unsafe, and the importance of advocating for friends. We have a Child Safety Wall, with clear information about what to do if a child feels unsafe, and who our Child Safety Officer is (Chris McCumstie, the principal.)
School TV
The SchoolTV initiative at Our Lady Help of Christians School aims to help parents to navigate the often complex issues they face in raising their children.
Expert advice, helpful tips, and other resources, are available to all our parents and caregivers. Explore the wide range of topics at SchoolTV by clicking on the link below.
Important Upcoming Dates:
August:
- Friday 30th August - Father's Day Breakfast 8.00am
September:
- Thursday 5th September Black Ranges Athletics Stawell
- Friday 20th September - Last Day of Term 3 Early finish at 2.15pm
October:
- Friday 4th October - Murtoa Show Day
- Monday 7th October - Term 4 starts
- Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd October - Year 3/4 Camp - Information was sent home this week
December:
- Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th December - Year 5/6 Camp Melbourne - Information to Come
Mass Times & Parish Information
Sunday 25th August -Livestream at St. Mary's Catholic Church 10.30am
St Paul VI Parish Sacramental Preparation
~ First Holy Communion ~
Parents of those children who have celebrated their, First Reconciliation sacrament earlier this year will be notified by email in early June of an Information Session date, where resources for First Holy Communion preparation will be distributed. Initial guidance will be given at the Information Session along with the resources and two further meeting dates will follow, to complete the necessary requirements before the sacrament is received.
Celebration of First Holy Communion will occur in Sunday Masses on set dates across the parish, most
likely over August/September.
~ Confirmation ~
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place with a similar structure (home preparation
and consolidation discussions in different churches) on a slightly later date scale.
Confirmation will be celebrated with Bishop Paul attending/visiting the parish as part of our Diocese 150th Year jubilee. Currently that timing is set for November.
All parishioners are invited to keep these children and their families in our prayers over the coming
months. May the grace of God touch their hearts and souls with the privilege of sacramental life shared with our Risen Christ. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, lead their preparation.
Parish Bulletin
Calendar Dates
Please click on the link below to take you directly to our School Calendar.