OLHC News Issue 24 Term 3 Week 6 - 18th August 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 and Friends of Our Lady's, 

Another week has passed and the students and staff at our school are continuing to work hard. It is national science week, and our wonderful librarian, Mrs. Dalgliesh, made a display of science books and paraphernalia in the library. So many students entered the room and stopped immediately to admire the display and become briefly (or not so briefly) absorbed by one of the books or by one of the resources available to them. It is always a pleasure to see the natural curiosity of children come to life and to see the way different subjects capture their imagination and interest. We never know where the learning our students are engaged in will take them, but the possibilities are almost endless, and this is one of the most exciting things about education.

Book Week begins on Monday 21st August, with a range of activities for our students to participate in. We will have lots of moments where we stop and read, to celebrate good books, inspiring characters, and the wonderful work of authors and illustrators. On Wednesday 23rd at 9:00 we will have the annual book parade in the Library. Some of the children have already indicated that they know who they will dress up as for the day, but I encourage those who are less prepared to give it serious thought and attention over the weekend. Book Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our interests and to share the book/s we love the most. I look forward to seeing what our students (and staff!) will share with us on Wednesday.

On Tuesday the students and staff celebrated the Feast of the Assumption. We gathered for a short prayer service, where the children sang hymns to Mary and remembered her Assumption into Heaven at the end of her life on earth. We often invite the children to pray at our school, and it is so pleasing to see and hear the faith our students have in going to God and asking for help. This Sunday's Gospel tells the story of a woman of great faith, who persisted in asking Jesus for help. Perhaps this woman, who is not named, can inspire us as a community to ask for God's help for the many people and areas of our world that are crying out in need.

All the very best, 

Chris McCumstie

School Wide Positive Behaviour

Education is not only about the intellectual or academic instruction we give to students. It is also about the cooperation between the home and the school in the formation of our students' character. Each week we would like to share with the parent body our school-wide behaviour focus, so that parents and caregivers know what we are working on at school and can make similar efforts in the home. We want to form well-rounded, polite, hard-working students who are filled with joy and who get the most out of their time at school. This requires positive reinforcement of good behaviours, and gentle correction or redirection when expected behaviours are not evident.

For the remainder of the term, our focus will be RESPECT.

Respect includes:

- using manners (pleases and thank yous)
- listening and looking at others when they speak
- giving others their own personal space
- following the instructions of teachers and parents straight away
- using appropriate language, including tone
- helping others in need

There will always be times when our students depart from these expectations, but so long as we are united in our efforts to build up the character of our students, we can hope to see progress and the formation of good habits.

Awards

Well done to the following students for their excellent work, positive example to others, or exemplary behaviour. It is so pleasing to see a large number of our students achieving in these different areas. Keep it up Teddy, Joey, Hunter, Zahlee, Luca, Addison, Therese, Harriet, Jed, Kaden, and  Charlotte!!

Photos from around the school

Student Media News

On Tuesday we had a liturgy about the Assumption Feast of Mary and we sang a few songs, read a few prayers and at snacktime Mr. McCumstie gave us icypoles and they were delicious.

On Thursday Mrs. Dalgleish set up for science week. There was a skeleton that we could look at, make your own invisible man and woman which had bones and muscles that you could assemble, and more.

We also had whole school sport where we played Rapid Fire. There are two teams, one is the batting team and the other is the fielding team. The batting team has to hit four balls as far as they can and then run around the wickets (5 points) or you can run to the other side of the fied and back (50 points). The fielding team has to get the 4 balls back as quick as they can and place the balls on the cones and then run back to their squares.

Today we are going to watch Cinderella in the Horsham Town Hall. Everyone is really excited to watch the performance and we believe that it will be worth the trip.

Next week it will be Book Week, and on Wednesday the students get to dress up as a character from a book of their choice and come to school. 

Charlotte 

Cinderella Performance - with the cast after the show.

School Nursing Program

School Nursing Program envelopes containing a questionnaire about your child's health and development, were sent home with Foundation students several weeks ago.

The questionnaire is distributed to all children enrolled in their first year of school.

If you wish for your child to participate in the Primary School Nursing Program, please complete the questionnaire and return to the General Office.

Science Week

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

School Fee Accounts

School Fee accounts were sent home with students today. Any questions, queries of difficulties, please come and see the Principal.

Important Upcoming Dates:

August:

• 18th - Performance "Cinderella" 11.00am - 3.00pm Horsham Town Hall
• 21st - 25th  Book Week - Theme - 'Read, Grow, Inspire'
• 23rd Book Week Parade @ 9am in the Library
• 25th  - Whole School AFL Clinic 10am
• 31st - Black Ranges Athletics

September:

• 1st - Buffy Auslan 9.00 - 10.00am
• 15th - End of term 3 - school finishes at 2.15 pm

October:

• 2nd - Term 4 begins
• 6th - Murtoa Show:  School Closure Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF OR STUDENTS
• 23rd - CEP Performance - 'Music in My Suitcase' 

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.

Mass Times & Parish Information

Sunday 20th August 2023  Mass at St. Mary's Murtoa at 8.30am

Sacramental Program 2023

St Paul VI Parish

The sacramental program continues at St Paul VI Parish. Fr Matt Restall is working with a number of children from Murtoa and the surrounding regions, preparing them for their First Holy Communion, which is fast approaching.

Calendar Dates

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