OLHC News Issue 3 Term 1 Week 4- 17th February 2023

Statement of Commitment to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples...

Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School acknowledges that God has been walking with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, making God's presence known through a continuous living culture over many thousands of years. We pray in thanksgiving for these ancient peoples who have enriched and sustained our continent over all that time. In particular, we praise God for the people who nurtured the lands where our schools are built and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who continue to support Catholic schools.

As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.  Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School is committed to the safety and well-being of all students.

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples. This newsletter comes to you from the lands of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Jupagalk Nations.

Principal Report

Dear Parents, carers, families, and parishioners,

Shrove Tuesday
Next Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, sometimes called Pancake Tuesday.    In the Catholic tradition,  the day preceding Ash Wednesday is popularly known as Shrove Tuesday. It is also frequently called Pancake Tuesday or Fat Tuesday. But it is the name “Shrove” that shows its religious origins. Shrove is the past tense of the English verb “Shrive” which means to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of confession and by doing penance. With Shrove Tuesday taking place before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, it was the day when Christians were encouraged to go to confession in preparation for the penitential season that would end 40 days and 40 nights later with Easter Sunday.  Dating back to 1000 AD, over the years Shrove Tuesday became a day for Confession and a time for Catholics to feast on eggs, sugar, and dairy, which are traditionally restricted during the Lenten fast. Not only was Shrove Tuesday a last chance to gorge on such foods but it was also a way to use them up before the fast began. The feast of these foods would become pancakes, hence the name Pancake Tuesday. The idea of Pancake Tuesday to celebrate the eve of the Lenten Fast gathered momentum with pancake races and pancake tossing, traditions that remain in certain countries and towns still today.

Pancakes will be provided for students after recess. The scrummy pancakes will help get students' brains to tune in for learning and understand the importance of Shrove Tuesday and the connection with the Catholic Tradition and the meaning for us in our lives today.

Beginning of Year Mass

A school Mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year will be held next Tuesday 21st February at 9.30 am at St Mary's Catholic Church in Murtoa. Fr Matt Restall (Parish Priest) will be celebrating Mass with us. This is an excellent opportunity to welcome our new students and families to our school community.  We will be announcing our 2023 school leaders at the end of the Mass after Fr Matt has blessed the badges. Extended family members and parishioners are welcome to join us for this special celebration.  We look forward to seeing everyone there! 

Ash Wednesday
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent. A Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary's Church, Murtoa with Monsignor Glynn. All Years 2-6 students will be attending.

All family members and parishioners are warmly invited to join us for Ash Wednesday Mass.

Ash Wednesday is a day for Catholics, aged over 14 years, to abstain from eating meat.

Child Safety Student Workshop

Next Monday, 20th February, I will be taking four senior students to Horsham to participate in a collaborative interschool Parish child safety workshop.  This will be held in the Parish Centre Horsham. Purpose of the workshop:

1.  Children and young people will be informed about all their rights, including safety, information, and participation in understanding child safety.

2. Our schools as organisations in our Parish will provide opportunities for our children and young people to participate and be responsive to their contributions, thereby strengthening confidence and engagement.

Key understandings of the day will be to understand child safety and the child safety standards- what they are and why we have them and make sure children feel comfortable to participate and feel comfortable to speak up about it (empowerment).

We are aiming to develop a child safety standard document that is student-friendly and can be part of our school culture and a way of being in our school.  Our senior students will return to Our Lady's to empower all our students in understanding and making the standards be actionable in our school.  Please keep your eye on the newsletter as we will publish our document once it is complete.

Kind regards

Mrs. Cathy Grace                                                                                

Taking photos

A reminder to parents to please ensure, when at school events, to take photos of your child/ren only.
Please do NOT post photos of other children at school events on your personal social media pages.
We thank you for your cooperation in respectfully using social media and doing your bit to keep everyone in our school community safe. 

Permission reminder

Please check SIMON/PAM to  complete Permission Notes/give Consent for the following activities

1. Child Safety Student Workshop Monday 20th February (4 Senior students)
2. Beginning of the Year Mass Tuesday 21st February (all students)
3. Ash Wednesday Mass - Wednesday 22nd February (Years 2 - 6)

Important Upcoming Dates:

 February:

• 21st - Beginning of Year Mass at St Mary's Church, Murtoa - 9.30 am
• 21st - Shrove Tuesday - Pancake day
• 22nd  - Ash Wednesday - Mass at St. Mary's Murtoa - 12.30pm
• 22nd - Foundation Rest day

March:

• 6th - Pupil Free Day - no school for students.  Staff PD 
• 8th - Foundation Rest Day
• 13th - School Closed - Labour Day Public Holiday
• 15th - Fr Matt visiting & NAPLAN begins for Years 3 and 5
• 16th - NAPLAN continues for Years 3 and 5
• 17th - NAPLAN continues for Years 3 and 5

April:

• 6th - End of term 1 - school finishes at 2.15 pm.
• 24th - Pupil Free Day - no school for students.  Staff PD
• 25th - ANZAC day - school closed - no school for staff or students
• 26th - First day of Term 2 for students

June:

• 12th - King's birthday - school closed - no school for staff or students.
• 23rd - End of Term 2 - school finishes at 2.15pm

July:

• 10th - Term 3 begins

September:

• 15th - End of term 3 - school finishes at 2.15pm

October:

• 2nd - Term 4 begins

November:

• 6th - Pupil Free Day - No school for students - Staff PD
• 7th - Melbourne Cup - school closed - public holiday.  No school for staff or students.

December:

• 15th - Last day for students.

Catastrophic Fire Rating Days

In September 2022, Australia introduced a new fire danger forecasting system, the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS). A nationally consistent system will more accurately predict fire danger and produce clear, simple messages for communities. Victoria has been using a 6‐tier system for fire danger ratings, from ‘Low’ or ‘Moderate’ to ‘Code Red’. The AFDRS will replace the Victorian system this year and uses 4 tiers of fire danger, from ‘Moderate’ to ‘Catastrophic’
In response to the updated state Victorian Fire Risk register, Our Lady Help of Christian's Primary School is now rated CAT4. This means that our school must close on days forecast as ‘Catastrophic’, by the Bureau of Meteorology within our designated fire district. The decision to close will be confirmed by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day prior to the closure. Once we have received confirmation of the closure we will contact you directly viaSMS before the end of the school day to confirm this. 

Student Absence from School - Every Day Counts

It is a legal requirement for parents to explain absences from school. Please remember to log on to PAM and state if the absence is due to sickness, a doctor’s appointment, or family reasons. Alternatively, you can email or phone the school prior to 9:30 am on the day of absence, otherwise, an absence SMS will be generated. If there is a scheduled absence please advise us in advance. 

Every Day Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education.
Students learn new things at school every day– missing school puts them behind. Of course, we do not want children to come to school if they are ill, and their health is a priority. But please consider if the reason for your child to miss a day of learning is important. If your child's school report shows less than 90% attendance for the semester, that represents at least 1 week absent a term or two weeks absence over a semester  -  at least 10% of learning opportunities missed. 

Family holidays - if there are planned holidays during school term time, parents are to notify Cathy via email at principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au  For known absences of 3 days or more, parents are to contact the Principal, and complete an Extended Absence Family Leave form for the period of absence.  These forms are to be obtained from the Principal.

Child Safe Standards: Child Safety & Wellbeing Commitments

All students enrolled at Our Lady Help of Christians (OLHC) have the right to feel safe and be safe. The safety and wellbeing of children in the school’s care will always be OLHC's first priority and the
school will not tolerate child abuse. The school will create a child-safe and child-friendly environment where children are free to enjoy life to the full without any concern for their safety. Particular attention is paid to the most vulnerable children and young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with a disability, children who are unable to live at home, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students. The full policy can be accessed via our school’s website:  https://www.olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au/child-safe

The school’s Child Safety Officer is the Principal, Mrs. Cathy Grace.
All parents and volunteers that are onsite when students are onsite, or attend school events, are required to hold a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and sign the school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct. If we do not have a current copy of your WWCC, please present your card to the office for photocopying. We will endeavour to get all families to sign the code of conduct in the very near future.
We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and well-being and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures, and practices. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please contact Cathy Grace either by phone or email principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Library Message from Mrs. Curran

 Library for 2023 will be held every Thursday afternoon for all students with Mrs. Newton and Mr. Collie.

Foundation students please bring along a library bag, to cary your borowed books to and from school.

Update to COVID-19 Term 1, 2023

Please visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria website (https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/) for all up-to-date information about the response to COVID-19.

• • All staff, students and visitors to schools should undertake regular hand hygiene, particularly on arrival to school, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the toilet.
  • Hand sanitiser will continue to be available for staff, students and visitors.
  • The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff, parents/carers and students do not attend school sites, even with the mildest of symptoms, and get tested.
  • It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:
    • have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild
    • are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19
    • are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.
  • The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398.
  • Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.

Additional Information

RATs are available from Horsham Rural City Council offices. Individuals can obtain two free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each household member. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.

Parent Access Module (PAM) Update

Over the holidays, the Parent Access Module (PAM) had a major upgrade.  All new parent accounts have been set up.  Parents would have received an email to verify your account and set your password.  Please check your email and complete the steps within the email. Medical details will need to be updated as well. 

Please direct any questions/issues about PAM to Joan in the General Office - 53852526

Most of our correspondence will be via PAM or the SIMON everywhere APP.   Please check SIMON as there is a permission request for swimming sessions for students in Years 2 - 6.

Swimming - Water Safety & Awareness Program

This Wednesday, we started running our Water familiarisation program for students in years 2 to 6. 

The purpose of the swimming sessions is for Water Safety and Water Familiarisation. During each session, the students will participate in activities based on Water Safety & Confidence, Endurance, and Stroke.  Please remember that we do not specifically teach the students to swim. We aim to give the children skills and knowledge as to how to keep themselves safe in and around water. This year we plan to have 4 sessions during Term 1, and further sessions during Term 4. The sessions are below (dependent on the daily temperature – we only go swimming if it’s 25 degrees or over)

Remaining Swimming Awareness Sessions for Term 1 2023

Wednesday 22nd February - time to be confirmed

Wednesday 1st March - 1.00pm to 2.00pm

Wednesday 8th March - 1.00pm to 2.00pm

Swimming Organisation

• Children must bring their bathers to school in a bag (NOT to be worn under school uniform).
• All students need to bring bathers, towel and a rashie / T-Shirt

(no rashie / no T-Shirt means no swim).

• All students will change at school before going to the pool.
• Sunscreen will be applied at school
• Students will walk to the pool and if it’s too hot, students will be bused to and from the pool 
• Students need to be collected from the pool. Bus students will be returned to school to catch the bus home.
• If a student does not bring their swimming gear, they will remain at school to complete learning tasks.
• Costs: $2 per student per swim (if no pool membership)
• Permission Form on SIMON - thank you to all families who have given consent for their child to participate in the swimming program.

Lunch Heat Ups and Lunch Orders

Lunch Heat ups are only available during Term 2 and 3.

Lunch Orders are available on Fridays from Murtoa College Canteen.

To order your child's lunch on Fridays, sent their order, written out on an envelope with correct money enclosed. The order needs to be placed in the lunch order basket  as soon as students arrive at school.

Mass Times & Parish Information

Mass: St Mary's Church, Murtoa
Sunday 19th February Mass at 8.30am.

Sacramental Program 2023

St Paul VI Parish

The Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation will be taking place across St Paul VI Parish in 2023. A letter with further information will be emailed to all School Principals within St Paul VI Parish, as well as to parents who have registered. We will also have this information listed in the Parish Bulletin.

Calendar Dates

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

Bread Bags and Bread Tags Collection

Collect bread bags and earn sports equipment for your school!

We have registered our school for bread bag collection to help with recycling and to earn sports equipment from RHS Sports.

Help us collect bread bags which we can exchange for points to redeem for new sports equipment!

Bring you used, crumb free bread bags into school, and we will get busy collecting!

Further details are available on - https://wonder.com.au/wonder-recycling-rewards

Bread Tag Collection

Along with the bread bags we have decided to collect bread tags.

We will collect only plastic bread tags, not cardboard tags or N95 mask clips.

"Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collect plastic bread tags nationally in Australia. The tags are recycled locally, raising funds to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people, mainly in South Africa"

Read their story on the following link - 

https://ozbreadtagsforwheelchairs.org.au/

Murtoa Pool Membership

Murtoa Pool Memberships 2022-23

*Family $130 Single $70

Single Day pass $5 Family Day Pass $20 Family week Pass $50

Payment can be made at the Pool, online, or at Chezzies Hand Made on Tuesdays & Fridays (10am-2pm). Payment Plans by arrangement.

Plastic pollution harms our health, wildlife, and the environment

From 1 February 2023, problematic single-use plastics will be banned from sale or supply in Victoria.

The ban applies to single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks made from conventional, degradable, and compostable plastics. The ban also applies to food service items and drink containers made from expanded polystyrene. People who need single-use plastic drinking straws due to a disability or for a medical need can still purchase and use these items.

The Victorian Government has engaged the National Retail Association to assist businesses and organisations understand and preparing for the upcoming ban. The NRA will visit 3000 businesses across Victoria, develop resources, hold information sessions, and provide a toll-free hotline and mailbox. Click here to find out more.

Horsham Little Theatre Information Night

Hi,

I am on the committee of Horsham's new Performing Arts program, Horsham Little Theatre (HLT). HLT is an all inclusive group for youth in Year 6 to Year 12.

There is an upcoming information night on the 21st of February for their production, 'Fairy Tales & Pirate Sails', and we were hoping you could please help us spread the word to your students and families by sharing the attached information and flyer in your OLHC newsletter? 

If you have any questions,  please don't hesitate to contact me. 

Many thanks,

Erika Eder.

A fantastic opportunity for Year 6 to Year 12 students to unleash their talents and perform on stage in Horsham Little Theatre's production 'Fairy Tales & Pirate Sails'.

Horsham Little Theatre is an all inclusive Performing Arts program for our youth, providing opportunities to explore various creative outlets and skills.

Please see the flyer for details about the upcoming Information Night, we look forward to seeing you there!