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,

Thank you to all who came and joined in the celebration for Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day. It was such a joy to welcome grandparents, special friends, mothers, fathers, and others from our community. A great time was had by all and it was a fitting way to honor our school's patron, with prayers, songs, and games.

I look forward to gathering together in a few weeks time for the acknowledgment of our school's 60th anniversary. I have been speaking with some past pupils and teachers recently and I am sure many stories and laughs will be shared when we gather on the 15th of June. If you have not already, please mark the date in your calendar, spread the news to those who may like to join us, and come along to celebrate Our Lady Help of Christians again!

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 Photos

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.

Simultaneous Storytime

The students took part in National Simultaneous Storytelling Time this week. Many schools across the nation would have read and enjoyed "Bowerbird Blues: by Aura Parker, and OLHC students were no exception. The story is rich text, with evocative language and a good message. The illustrations are stunning, and the follow-up activity was enjoyed by all.

This book can certainly be added to the list for books read in the reading challenge! Make sure you tick off another box and keep reading! The staff list of books read is growing steadily!

Our Handsome Frogs

By Eliza, Nihal and Teddy

This is our journey of finding frogs. We found the first frog buried in the sand. He lives in a tank and his first meal was a mealworm. We kept him for 7 days until we found a bigger frog! His first meal was a big worm. Our frogs love burrowing in their tank and trees. They love being in our hands and running and camouflaging in the sand. We renew the tank everyday and we find food under the tiles and also under fake grass. We find slaters and worms. We all love nature so we decided to put some little trees and a tunnel pipe in the tank.

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