Our Lady Help of Christians School Murtoa eNewsletter

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.

Statement of Commitment

Principal Report

Dear Parents and Friends of Our Lady's,

It has been a week of transitions. We welcomed our four Foundation students for their first transition day on Tuesday. Ms Mock and the children read the story "The Rainbow Fish", played a memory game with actions, and created some beautiful artwork to take home to their parents. It was lovely to meet our new families again and for the children to meet their teacher. We are so excited to have these students join our family at OLHC, and Ms Mock to take on the rest of the Juniors in 2024!

Our senior students also 'stepped up' with the Year 6s spending a day at Murtoa College. It is sad to say goodbye to students, but we share in their joy and excitement as they prepare for an important change. Maeve and Sienna had a great time at Murtoa College on Wednesday and cannot wait to begin attending next year.

I have seen lots of parents in and around school lately, and I am so pleased by this. With the significant change-over in staff over the last 12 months, it is important that communication between the home and school remains strong. Our Lady's is such a wonderful school and has such a rich history; the more we share about what is going well, what has been done well in the past, and what our families want for their children, the better we as a school can serve our community. Please do come in and see me if you have any concerns, if you want to check in for an update, or want to share ideas about your child's schooling. I am always happy to meet with parents, as are our teachers, to partner with you in providing a Catholic education.

A reminder to send in donations for the reverse advent calendar! The end of school is fast approaching, and we need to make sure we are doing our bit to help those in need.

All the very best,

Chris McCumstie

Staffing Update 2024

We are fast coming to the end of the school year and have begun looking ahead to 2024 with excitement. As you will be aware, we advertised two positions in our school newsletter for classroom teachers at Our Lady's. I am pleased to announce that in 2024 Ms Tanya Mock will be the Junior Classroom teacher and Mr Jordon Collie will continue as the Senior Room teacher. I am confident that these teachers will provide an excellent education to our students. I will take on a teaching load in 2024 as well, mainly in the Junior Room, but also providing some specialist lessons for the whole school.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Jessica Bedford for all her hard work at our school. Jess has successfully found a teaching position closer to home we wish her well. She will no doubt be a great asset to her new school as she has been to ours. "Miss B" will be missed and I am sure the children will fondly remember her as their classroom teacher and as an excellent PE and Digitech specialist.

We also farewell Mrs Melissa Evans and thank her for her part in our students' learning this year. Mrs Evans has a great talent for art and has helped the students produce beautiful (and award-winning!) pieces for the Murtoa Show and for display around our school. We hope to see Mrs Evans around and about our school and community in the future.

Chris McCumstie

School Wide Positive Behaviour

Our SWPBS focus in Term 4 is CLASSROOM behaviours.

We know that good learning occurs in calm, well-ordered classrooms. We also know that student engagement in learning content is essential and that that engagement may not happen unless it is requested/demanded. We cannot hope that students will learn by osmosis (although they do) nor that they will necessarily enter or inhabit classrooms in calm and orderly ways. So as a school we are teaching our students how we want them to work. We are ensuring that all students are engaged in their learning, thinking, reading, writing and listening. We want to maximise the learning of our students, especially in these foundational years of primary schooling.

Students are working hard at:

- entering and exiting in an orderly way
- moving about the room sensibly
- focusing on school work and aiming to achieve the best standard
- listening and looking at others when they speak
- following the instructions of teachers straight away
- helping others in need

We're pleased to report that there are lots of positives to celebrate. Students are doing a great job improving in these areas, and we are seeing the benefits both in the school culture and in the academic performance of the children.

Reverse Advent Calendar

To support those in need this Christmas, Our Lady's are participating in the Reverse Advent Calendar Initiative again. There are four boxes at school for donations and a helpful list of the types of items students can bring in. It would be great to see a generous response from our community and we can be sure that our efforts will make a big difference at Christmas in the lives of those in need.

Cereal Boxes needed for Senior Class

The Senior Class require 5 cereal boxes for a project they are working on.

If you have any at home, please send them to school.

Parents & Friends News

Spring Raffle

Thank you to families for the donations for the Spring Raffle. Due to the predicted inclement weather, tickets will be sold and the Raffle drawn at the December Jung Market. Tickets will be sent home to all families next week.

Parents & Friends Meeting

Parents and Friends (P&F) meeting was held on Monday, 20th November at Our Lady's School in the Multi-Purpose Room at 6:30pm. Report will be in the next Newsletter.

Student Media News

This week at Our Lady’s on Wednesday, Maeve and Sienna went over to Murtoa College for the transition program . They stayed at Murtoa College for 5 hours and they basically cooked most of the day. They made pizza and some snicker balls . Maeve and Sienna enjoyed their experience at Murtoa College and are looking forward to going there in 2024.

On Tuesday the kindergarten kids came for a 'Transition to Foundation Day' and some of them will be the next foundations at our school. The juniors played with the kinder kids and had a great time.

On Friday Buffy came in for whole school Auslan for over an hour.

Junior Room

The Juniors have been very engaged in all their learning. Division is the topic in Maths at present, where all students have been exploring groups, sharing and 3D shapes for measurement and geometry.

At the end of the lesson, Ruby and Irene made good use of their finishing five minutes early, by building with the magnetic shapes.

Transition - Forward to Foundation

In the lead-up to the State-wide Orientation Day on Tuesday 12^th December, Our Lady’s School invites the kinder children who are already enrolled or who intend to enroll for 2024 to attend transition days. The purpose of transition days is to let the children become familiar with school routines and expectations including- getting to and from school, playing and learning with other children, meeting staff, and becoming familiar with the school buildings and grounds.

Our school day begins at 9.00am. The morning session has a fruit break at 10.00am and concludes at 11.00am. Children then play before eating their morning tea together. The middle session begins at 11.30am and concludes at 1.00pm. Children then play and eat their lunch at 1:30pm. School finishes at 3:15pm.

Transition Dates

Tuesday, 28^th November, 900am - 11.30am (11am- Speech Therapist to speak to parents in library)
Tuesday, 5^th December, 900am - 1.45pm
Tuesday, 12^th December, 900am - 3.15pm (State-wide Orientation Day)

What to Bring

Fruit snack, morning tea, water bottle
Sun Hat
Lunch (on 5/12 and 12/12)

The School Uniform Coordinator will display samples of the school uniform on 28^th November from 9.00 - 9.50am and 10.45 - 11.45am, for parents to view. Forms will be available for those wishing to place orders.

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming your child to the OLHC school community. It is an exciting and important time for families, so we will do our best to ensure both parents and students make the transition smoothly. If you have any questions please ring our friendly staff in the General Office on (03) 5385 2526 or email principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au.

2024 Year 7 - Transition Days

Year 6 students have been invited to attend the Year 7 (2024) transition program at Murtoa College.

Day 2 Wednesday 29th November 2023 9.30am - 2.30pm. Murtoa College bus will collect Our Lady's students (from OLHC) at 9.20am and drop them off at 2.35pm.

Statewide Transition Day Tuesday 12th December 2023 Full Day. Students use their normal mode of transport, getting off their normal bus at Murtoa College or walking to Murtoa College.

Students are to wear their Our Lady's uniform, take their school hat to wear in the yard and bring appropiate food and drink for Recess and Lunch - No canteen on Wednesday. Students will be returned to Our Lady's School on Day 1 and 2, to travel home at their normal time.

An information pack (sent home last week), containing a permission slip from Murtoa College, to be completed by parents and handed to the bus driver when getting on the Murtoa College bus.

Our Lady's Permission Form will be on Simon.

Any questions please contact the General Office.

Important Upcoming Dates:

November:

28th - Kinder Transition Day 9.00am - 11.30am
28th - Speech Therapist Ashleigh Freckleton speaking to parents 11am
30th - SAC Meeting 6.30pm

December:

3rd - First Sunday of Advent
5th - Kinder Transition Day 9.00am - 1.45pm
6th - Fr. Matt visit
10th -2nd Sunday of Advent
12th - Statewide Orientation Day 9.00am - 3.15pm
14th - Graduation Mass 6.00pm at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Murtoa - confirmed
15th - Last Day for students
17th - 3rd Sunday of Advent
18th - Last Day for Staff

Graduation Mass

Graduation Mass will be held on Thursday, 14^th December at St Mary's Catholic Church, Murtoa at 6.00pm. Presentations will follow the Mass.

After presentations all families and friends are invited to a shared supper at the church. If families could bring a plate of supper it would be appreciated. Tea and coffee will be provided.

All students, families and friends are invited to attend

Invitations will be sent home Monday.

Sacramental Program 2024

Sacramental Program 2024
Information Session

This year St Paul VI Parish has completed its first Sacramental Program involving over 50 children and their families. The Program has been engaging and enjoyable, as well as educational and inspiring. Parents and their children re-discovered the richness of our faith, responding with their lives to the words of Jesus “ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7)

Parents are the first teachers of the faith to their children. The fruit of parents playing an active part in helping their child prepare for the Sacraments this year has been evident, and therefore the Parish based Sacramental program will run according to this model in 2024 also.

For those families who have a child in year 4 and above who has not received the Sacrament Reconciliation or Holy Communion, or for children in year 6 and above who have not received the Sacra-ment of Confirmation – please feel welcome to attend one of the information sessions listed below.