Our Lady Help of Christians School Murtoa eNewsletter

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 everyone in our community for a wonderful Term 3. Working in the classrooms this week afforded me the opportunity to see the tremendous amount of work our students have completed. From daily literacy and numeracy activities, reading aloud individually and in groups, to writing stories and completing project work, Term 3 has been jam-packed with teaching and learning. Well done to teachers and students alike!

I wish you all a very happy, safe, and joy-filled holiday. I hope our families are able to take advantage of some time off school to recuperate, take part in recreation, and find opportunities for relaxation. As much as we want to work hard during school hours, we very much acknowledge the necessity of holidays for our students and their families.

At this time I am reminded of the words Jesus imparts to us in the scriptures:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew: 11:28

May we listen to His words, and come to Jesus for the rest, relief, and assistance we need.

All the very best and see you again in Term 4!

Chris McCumstie

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Murtoa Show

October 4 is the date for the Annual Murtoa Show, this year being its 138th year!

Our Lady's students have been invited to perform on stage at 12:20pm. The children have been preparing two songs to sing with Mr. Robarts and are ready to go!

We understand, of course, that there may be families who are away, who choose not to attend, or whose children may not be comfortable getting up on stage. But, for those who are able to join us, please let us know with a brief email to Chris at principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to seeing many of you on the day and seeing our students demonstrating their wonderful skills on the main stage!

New Build in 2025- Plans for Classrooms

We are at an exciting stage with our plans for a new school. Swanbuild, the company that the school have employed, have commenced work and at this stage we are looking forward to the whole project being completed by mid-2025.

When the original and main school building is demolished, learning will take place in the Library and Multipurpose Room. Our Junior Class will move to the Library for their day-to-day learning, and Seniors will move to the Multipurpose Room. Because the build is modular and largely occurs offsite, we are hoping for our time in temporary learning spaces to be short and swift.

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. We are completing a stocktake in Term 4, so it is important that we get these books back and can accurately see what our collection contains.

Thank you.

Footy/Netball Colours/Casual Clothes Day

What a great way to end the term! All the students came dressed in Footy and Netball colours and took part in competitions, games, and fun learning experiences.

It was great not only to see the AFL teams our community supports in full colour, but also to see our local teams getting a guernsey. The Rupanyup Panthers and Minyip-Murtoa Burras were well represented!

Best of luck for the finals if your team is still in (like Mrs Dalgleish) and better luck next year if they are not (like Mr. McCumstie).

Year 3 & 4 Camp Adekate

Last week parents of Year 3 and 4 students received some more information regarding the Year Three and Four camp at Adekate. The permission form is on Simon and Medical forms were sent home. Further details (itinerary) will follow closer to the date. The dates will be Monday 21^st, Tuesday 22^nd, Wednesday 23^rd October 2024. Students and staff will be staying at Camp Adekate and will travel by Wimmera Roadways Bus to and from camp.

All costs for camp have now been finalised with the total cost per student coming to $340. Parents and Friends have agreed to donate $100 per child towards the cost of the camp. The final camp cost is $ 240.00

Please note when the forms enclosed in this package need to be returned to the General Office:

Medical form – please return by Monday, 7^th October 2024 (including any food allergies)
Permission form on Simon
Payment – pay total or instalments to OLHC School fee account
Clothing List - emailed and hard copy sent home today
Itinerary (to follow)

Day 1: (Brief Itinerary more details to follow)

Leaving from the front of Murtoa College at 7.30 am, on Monday, 21^st October 2024. Morning Tea at Beaufort followed by Lunch at Ballarat at 11am. All students and staff will need to bring a packed morning tea and lunch in a backpack, as well as a full water bottle, hat & sunscreen or raincoat and decent walking shoes. We will be dropped off for an afternoon at Sovereign Hill (12-4pm) prior to arrival at Adekate Camp.

Murtoa Show

138th Annual Murtoa Show will be held on the Big Weekend, on Friday, 4th October 2024. (This day is the last Friday of the school holidays)

Students have been preparing entries during various lessons at school. The school will enter student's work into the show to represent OLHC.

Children are welcome to enter other sections as a local resident. If they have time during the school holidays, they might like to create an entry.

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

CCYP_Child_Safe_Standards_Plain_Language.pdf

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.

OLHC School TV