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,

I spent some time with the senior class this week, spelling, reading, and discussing ideas. I was impressed by their maturity in our discussions, the pride they took in their work, and the engagement they had in the books they were reading aloud in small groups.

When children begin school, they learn to read. This gets flipped as they gain proficiency, with students reading to learn. In later years, across all subjects, reading is one of the main ways students engage with information. Reading is, therefore, critical to success in schooling. The work in the early years of building strong oral language skills, giving explicit instruction in phonics, and providing positive reading experiences, sets our students up to enjoy books and to learn from them for the rest of their lives.

Motivation is a critical element related to reading success. To grow the motivation in our students, we began a challenge today, to read 5, 15, 25 or 30 books before the end of Term 3. We have individual and class charts to track our reading, to record our reactions to books, and to encourage one another in this good habit. I'm even putting up a progress chart in the staff room so we can practice what we preach!

Please make every effort to read to your children and have them read to you. It is a beautiful way to spend time with your child and can lead to wonderful conversations.

Have a great weekend and all the very best,

Chris McCumstie

principal@olhcmurtoa.catholic.edu.au

Our Lady's 60th Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday 15th June we are celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Our Lady's. The date slipped by last year (1963 - 2023), but we are wanting to invite all past and present students, families, staff and community members to come and join us.

We would like to acknowledge the history of our school, and all the effort that went into the building of this special place, before the original building is replaced later in the year.

An event has been set up on our Facebook page and we would appreciate if you could go online and invite any of your friends who would be interested in this special day.

Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day

Our Lady Help of Christians is the patroness of our school. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is given many titles by believers across the world, and this is a name that is very special to Australians and to our school. It reminds us that Mary is our advocate in Heaven, praying for us and listening to us when we pray.

To celebrate this special feast day in our school, we especially invite grandparents and other special friends to a liturgy and morning tea on Friday 24th May at 9am. Please join us as we gather for food and conversation, prayer and reflection, and some fun and games with the students. The morning will conclude at 10:30am.

School Saving Bonus

In the recent Victorian budget, the Allan Labor Government announced a $400 School Saving Bonus for all school students in government schools regardless of income, but only for Health Care Card holders in Catholic schools.

This is deeply unfair.

We believe the payment should apply to all students or be means-tested for all students.

It should not be based on which school you attend.

This policy punishes families for choosing to send their children to a Catholic school.

Our school, together with other non-government schools and our peak body, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, are working hard to oppose this policy and we need your help.

We need to show the Victorian Government that punishing families who choose a Catholic school is unacceptable.

Please consider contacting our local Member of Parliament, Emma Kealy, to express your concern.

Emma Kealy’s office can be contacted by calling 53820097 or by emailing emma.kealy@parliament.vic.gov.au

Template letters are available to assist you with making your voice heard.

Burras Good-Sport Awards

Well done Zahlee and Harrison on receiving the good-sport awards, sponsored by the Minyip-Murtoa Burras. Our Sport Captains keep their eyes peeled for good behaviours, and recognised Zahlee and Harrison's efforts at the recent athletics carnival.

Music with Mr Robarts

If your child is humming "Give me a home among the Gum Trees" or whistling "I am Australian" or singing "Waltzing Matilda"....Mr Robarts is responsible! It is a such a joy to hear children singing in our classrooms every day, and to see them learning through song.

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

Child Safe Standard 1:

OLHC welcomes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and seeks to support them in all aspects of schooling. All children have a right to their cultural beliefs and to enjoy the freedom to express these at school. We are active in promoting inclusion in our school and making that inclusion visible and authentic.

School TV

As part of the SchoolTV initiative at Our Lady Help of Christians School, we want to highlight topics that may be especially helpful to our parent group. Parenting is not easy, and there are complex issues which parents have to navigate every day. By offering SchoolTV we hope to aid all caregivers in our community by giving practical strategies to overcome the challenges our young people face.

ONLINE GAMING

Young people might have a lot of fun playing online games, but parents and carers need to make sure they empower their child to make wise decisions and help them manage the risks. Numerous games can help your child become more coordinated, adept at problem-solving and multitasking, and help them develop social skills through online interaction with other players. However, it's also critical to comprehend what may go wrong and what might be harmful to your child. Carers need to play an active role in understanding and being aware of what their young person is playing online and who they are interacting with.

Find out more at the link below:

https://olhcmurtoa.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/online-gaming

Or, explore the wide range of topics at SchoolTV by clicking on the link below.

OLHC School TV

Bright Sparks at St. Brigid's College

The Bright Sparks program continues at St Brigid's College. Students from across the Wimmera, including four students from OLHC, join together each week for a variety of workshops.

Below are pictures from the Robotics and Art workshops enjoyed by Hunter, Kaden, Andre and Charlotte.

If you would to arrange a time to tour the College, please contact the Front Office on (03) 5382 3545.