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 all who joined us for the Opening Mass on Wednesday. It was a blessing to have Fr Sajan join us in offering our year to God. A highlight for me was hearing our students singing the hymn to Our Lady Help of Christians with great joy.

Mrs Woods, Miss Kirby, Mrs Dalgleish, and Mrs McCumstie spent a productive day in Horsam on Thursday, learning about best practice literacy instruction, and finding out how research in cognitive psychology can inform the choices we make at school to engage students and promote their development. This is all a part of our exciting journey in structured literacy, led by DOBCEL and supported by experts from La Trobe University. We'll continue to share our learning journey with the community as it progresses.

This week on Thursday the seniors will have a casual relief teacher (Mrs Andrea Cox, a former principal). We will go through the behavior expectations for when students have a CRT to ensure that learning continues seemlessly.

Enjoy the newsletter today, and please feel free to come and see me or the teachers to discuss your individual child.

All the very best,

Chris McCumstie

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Opening School Mass

It was great to gather as a school community (students, staff, parishioners and parents) to officially open our school year. At St. Mary's church in Murtoa, students sang songs, read from the scriptures, and offered prayers for a successful year to God.

Thank you to all who were able to attend, and to Fr Sajan Mathew for offering the Mass.

New School Bus!

An exciting development this year is the addition of a new school bus. The Ford Transit has the capacity to carry eleven students as well as the driver, so the opportunity to go on excursions, to become more involved in community service, and to broaden our extra curricula offerings is fantastic.

Each day, the bus will drive out from Horsham, and Our Lady's primary school is offering a free service for any students wishing to enrol from Horsham or surrounds. The bus leaves Horsham at 8 and returns at 4, and any families who are interested are invited to contact the school.

(03) 5385 2526

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

New Build Update and Photos

We are at an exciting stage in the process of getting a new school. The original building was demoilshed over the Christmas break, and the new modules arrived and were placed on site this week! Temporary office and learning spaces in the Multipurpose Room and Library are working well and will serve us until the new building is ready to move into. Thanks to the staff and students for all the hard work, patience and understanding during an unusual but exciting time!

Junior News

The juniors have begun a Humanities & Social Sciences unit titled ‘What are the different features of places’ and have thoroughly enjoyed the lessons so far. The first lesson focused on features of a place. They learned that a feature can be constructed or man-made or something that has always been a part of nature. Students identified features in the classroom and took photos of natural and constructed features around the school. The second lesson focused on natural, managed and constructed features.They defined natural, managed and constructed features using a powerpoint presentation, sorting activity and posters.

Mental Health and Wellbeing News

"All your children will be disciples of the Lord – I will make peace around your children." Isaiah: 54:13

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s sleep after reading this article, please seek
advice from your GP or ask for a referral to a paediatric sleep physician. If you would like a copy of
the resources accessed in this article, please let me know.

This week I want to talk about sleep. In my years, I have had extensive involvement in health care
administration and project management, one of which was working with adult and paediatric sleep
physicians in Victoria and Queensland.
What I learned from these projects is that approximately more than one third of Australian children
may have sleep problems, with 27% of 12-13 year olds not getting the recommended amount of
sleep. This increases to 52% for children aged 16-17 years old.
Sleep is vital for children’s development, and insufficient sleep can affect cognitive function,
academic performance, emotional regulation and may also contribute to behavioural issues and
obesity. Interestingly, the link between ADHD and sleep problems is strong – with 70% of children
with ADHD, and 80% of children with Austism have some form of sleep disruption – either medical
(such as sleep apnea, restless legs or periodic limb movements of sleep) or behavioural. These sleep
issues can be moderate to severe.
One question the paediatric sleep physician I worked with would ask parents if there was a diagnosis
of ADHD/Autism in their child, as this can help with a correct diagnosis of sleep disorders and
whether further intervention is required, or whether the child can benefit from cognitive
behavioural therapy.
Approximately 6% of Australian children are diagnosed with ADHD which has many of the same
symptoms as a sleep disorder such as problems with attention, concentration, hyperactivity, or
impulse control. Children with ADHD may even experience exacerbations in these areas if they have
an undiagnosed sleep problem, and in some situations, where a sleep problem is treated, it may be
as effective as stimulant medication in improving their function.

What does all of this mean?
To foster a healthy learning environment in the classroom, it is important for a child to get adequate
sleep. Children aged 6-13 years old should be getting between 9 and 11 hours of sleep, but 7-8
hours (or even 12 hours) may be appropriate. It is not recommended that they have less than 7
hours, or more than 12 hours sleep.

The top tips to foster better sleep are:

- Establish a regular sleep pattern
- A consistent bedtime routine
- Make sure the bedroom is comfortable
- Bed is for sleeping, not entertainment
- Some foods can disturb sleep
- Caffeine is a stimulant Take care with daytime naps.
- Exercise and time outside
- Work with your doctor

Mrs Woods
Senior class teacher; Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

References used in this article:
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute: https://www.mcri.edu.au/impact/a-z-child-adolescent-
health/s/sleep
Sleep Health Foundation (Australia): https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/
Queensland Children’s Lung and Sleep Specialists: https://qclass.com.au/better-sleep-for-school/

Message from Mrs. Dalgleish

Library Days for 2025

Juniors - Wednesday 10.00 - 10.30am

Seniors- Wednesday10.30 - 11.00am

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

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

Important Upcoming Dates:

February 2025

Wednesday 19th February - Visit from Jane Hage (Auslan)

March 2025

Tuesday 4th March - Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday)
Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Mass 11.30am
Monday 10th - Labour Day Public Holiday

April 2025

Friday 4th - DSSA Athletics at Minyip
Friday 4th - Last Day of Term 1

Mass Times & Parish Information

Sunday 16th February 2025, Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 8.30am.

2025 Sacramental Program - EARLY ENROLLMENT
Reconciliation – Holy Communion – Confirmation
Reconciliation & Holy Communion is available to children in Year 4 and above.
Confirmation is available for children in Year 6 and above who have
completed Reconciliation & Holy Communion.

Sacramental Program enrolments will be open until 4pm, 14th February, 2025.

If you would like more information or to enrol your child, please visit the Parish Office
at 10 Roberts Ave or Email: wimmeramallee@ballarat.catholic.org.au

Mass Schedule Oct 2024