OLHC News Issue 26 Term 3 Week 7 - 30th 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, 

Thank you to all the fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers and other community members who were able to join us for the Fathers' Day Breakfast. It was a great joy to see our students sitting with people in their lives who are dear to them, sharing a meal, and giving them a gift. We do not often acknowledge the influence that special people have in our lives, and I am pleased we were presented with that opportunity this morning. 

Thanks also to those who prepared the meal for us, and to the students and teachers who spent some time during the week discussing hospitality and setting up the space for our breakfast.

I wish all the fathers in our school a very happy day for Sunday!

Our Catholic faith presents us with a number of images of fatherhood. God is often referred to as a loving father, Jesus used fathers in his parables (the prodigal son, for instance) and St. Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus and husband of Mary. The prayer below is a beautiful prayer to St Joseph, and I offer it for reflection to our community this week. It is a prayer Pope Francis prays daily, at the end of his morning prayers:

Every day, for more than 40 years, following Lauds, Pope Francis has recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary:

Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph,
whose power makes the impossible possible,
come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty.
Take under your protection the serious
and troubling situations that I commend to you,
that they may have a happy outcome.
My beloved father, all my trust is in you.
Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain,
and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary,
show me that your goodness is as great as your power.

Amen.

All the very best, 

Chris McCumstie

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Photos from the Fathers' 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, Shot Put and Relay
•  Andre - Discus and 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.

Message from Mrs. Dalgleish

Mrs. Dalgleish has advised that several library items are overdue.

Please check for library books that may be at home and return to school.

Thank you.

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:

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 1st September - Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church 8.30am

Parish Bulletin

Calendar Dates

Please click on the link below to take you directly to our School Calendar.