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 custodians of the land on which our school was built.

Principal Report

Dear Parents and Friends of Our Lady's,

We're having our opening Mass for the school year this coming Thursday (March 14th). I extend a very warm invitation to all our parents and friends to attend this Mass, joining our staff and students in commending our year to God. A special invitation is extended to our Year 6 parents, who may wish to join us as we bless school badges and commission our school leaders.

It was impressive to hear from our Year 6 students last week at assembly. The children spoke with confidence and honesty. We heard about their love for our school, its long history and traditions, and the values they would bring to leadership positions. Our students are full of great ideas (some more practical than others) and I look forward to working with our senior students to improve our school and ensure we offer not only a good education, but a well-rounded and fun school experience for all our pupils.

On Thursday at Mass, we will announce the two school captains, two sport captains, and the president of the student representative council. We will get an opportunity to congratulate our year sixes and wish them well for the year ahead. Please make an effort to join us if you can.

Enjoy the long weekend! Labor Day is a reminder that there is more to life than work, and that a human being needs both rest and recreation if they are to flourish. I love the mission statement of DOBCEL: "As partners in Catholic education, and open to God's presence, we pursue fullness of life for all." We are the inheritors of battles won by the union movement (including dedicated lay Catholics and Bishops) who achieved an 8-hour day for workers. I hope families can spend Monday together and enjoy time with each other.

All the very best,

Chris McCumstie

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Project Compassion - 3rd Week of Lent Reflection by Michael McGirr Exodus 20:1–17 I 1 Corinthians 1:22–25 I John 2:13–25

If the world is one great classroom, then God is a fantastic teacher. We have all had experience of this: the firm and gentle way that God opens our minds and helps us to understand.
Today’s readings show three different ways that God tries to get through to us. In the first reading, God sets some clear expectations for behaviour. They are all based around respect, both for the teacher and for those with whom we share the class! At the same time, God reminds us ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of slavery.’ In other words, these are not random rules. They are designed to protect our deepest freedom. Disregarding them sends us back into captivity.
In the Gospel, Jesus is annoyed by people who think they know everything but who have not properly understood the basic lesson about justice and reverence. ‘Stop turning my father’s house into a market.’ Finally, St Paul speaks about wisdom. ‘God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.’ This is another style again: inviting us into a mystery, almost using riddles to get us to think outside the box.
It is no surprise that the Catholic community has always valued education and done a great deal to make it accessible for people around the world. Just as God teaches us, so too do we try to share the wonderful gift of learning with others.
This week, Project Compassion brings us the story of Leaia, who lives in Samoa. With the support of Caritas Australia’s local partner Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed in Leaia’shome to harvest rainwater. This means that her family can now have access to clean water to drink and bathe. The time that was previously spent walking to collect water in buckets from a neighbour down the street can now be used for other essential tasks and, most importantly, her children don’t have to miss out on school. School is a doorway that opens onto a better world.
The Gospel today says that Jesus knew what a person had in them. We should try to be the same: to see the potential, not just the surface.

PRAYER

We pray that we will deepen our faith over the whole of our lives. May we be open to the many lessons God wants to teach us. Through Project Compassion, may we support the journey of all to fullness of life.
Amen

School Wide Positive Behaviour

Our focus in the classroom for the rest of the term is centered around two rules:

Key Speaker- this rule means that whoever is supposed to be speaking has the full attention of the audience. Teachers can teach without interruption. Students can ask and answer questions without being interrupted. Instructions can be given and followed with greater ease.

Space Bubble- this rule is about respecting the personal space of others, by not sitting too near or on our friends, by keeping our hands and feet to ourselves, and by moving about with care to avoid knocking into people.

In all things, we want to follow the golden rule: "Treat others the way you wish to be treated."

Well done to our students for their continued efforts, especially our seniors, who are leading by example!

To reward and encourage good behaviour, we use positive reinforcement systems. One you may have heard your child mention is dojo points. These are points awarded to students who follow rules, set a good example, participate in class, or show other positive behaviours. Once a student receives 20 points, they are entered into the dojo raffle, which gives them a chance to win a prize at assembly. 100 points gives the child a separate ticket into a bigger raffle. Thanks Eimer for organising the raffle, and Eddie and Hunter for drawing it at assembly.

Hearing Awareness Week

We are blessed to have Buffy as our AUSLAN support teacher. On Wednesday, the students listened to Buffy explain Hearing Awareness Week. We learned about how hearing can be lost, and ways we can minimise the chances of this happening. Thanks Buffy!

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Photos from around the school

From Mr Critch cooking nachos, to whole school games outside; from glass jars for lizards, to faraway trees in classrooms; from fixing doors to hugging Gerald....Lots of exciting things happening at Our Lady's school!

Important Upcoming Dates:

March:

Monday 11th March - Labour Day Holiday
Wednesday 13th - Friday 25th NAPLAN Year 3 & 5
Thursday 14th March - Opening School Mass at 10.30am St. Mary's Church, Murtoa
Thursday 14th March- filming at Lake Marma (permission form to come on SIMON/PAM)
Thursday 28th - Last Day Term 1 Early Finish 2.15pm
Thursday 28th - Holy Thursday
Friday 29th - Good Friday
Sunday 31st - Easter Sunday

April:

Monday 15th April - Term 2 starts
Friday 19th April - Dunmunkle Cross Country Rabl Park - Year 4/5/6
Thursday 25th April - ANZAC Day

May:

Friday 10th May - DSSA Athletics at Rupanyup Oval

June:

Monday 10th June - Holiday - No school for students
Friday 21st June - School Closure Day - Teacher PD Horsham
Friday 28th June - Last Day Term 2 Early finish 2.15pm

Labour Day Holiday Monday 11th March

Labour Day commemorates the achievements of the Australian labour movement.

The celebration of Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund Information