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Ms Angela Gilbert / Mrs Sarah Jackman
Mr Garry Birch / Mr Chris Golightly
Welcome Back
Welcome back to school for Term 3. Despite the chilly conditions in Toowoomba, we hope you had a restful winter break. It is often tricky to adjust to the usual routines of the school term, especially when there is sickness around, but we trust you will soon adapt to school life and enjoy another fabulous term.
We hope you continue to partner with us in building a positive culture and educational environment for our Lourdes Learners and Global Citizens and value your efforts in assisting us to achieve this. A few valuable ways you can assist us is by getting your children to school on time, packing a healthy lunch, setting up homework routines to benefit learning, and coming along to school events such as assemblies, Masses, and P&F sponsored events. Stay tuned for info about another event for our Lourdes community later in the term.
Best Wishes Mr. Golightly
Congratulations to Chris Golightly, who has begun his role with Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office as Acting Senior Education Leader. This is a secondment for five weeks so we will see him back at Lourdes later in the term. We wish Chris all the best as he gains new experiences and opportunities to assist other Principals and schools in our Diocese.
During Chris’ absence, Janice Moore and Tim Franzmann will take on additional Assistant Principal roles and assist me as Acting Principal and Middle Leader (Teaching & Learning). Emily McKay will continue to assist the leadership team each Thursday with Teaching and Learning across the school. Sarah Goldthorpe will take 3GM full time so Janice can be in the office five days per week. We thank everyone for their support and flexibility and trust all staff will continue to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the school while Chris is away.
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week in 2022 will be celebrated in Queensland next week. This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools. This year’s theme is Communities of Faith, Hope and Love. During Catholic Education Week we acknowledge the accomplishments, contributions, and service of our staff to Catholic education. This year we recognise the following fabulous staff members of Our Lady of Lourdes:
- Liz Wagner – nominee for the Spirit of Catholic Education Award
- 20 Years of Service - Melita Hohn, Angela Gilbert, Allyson Jessen, Wendy Mahoney
- 25 Years of Service - Aleisha Verdon
We are very fortunate to have such dedicated staff at Lourdes.
A Few Important Reminders
- Students are not to attend school if they display COVID- 19 symptoms, including, fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, vomiting or nausea, diarrhoea, or loss of smell or taste.
- For the afternoon second bell, if your child goes to Stop, Drop & Go, please do not arrive prior to 3:05. If you arrive early, you will be asked to do a loop around the block. This avoids congestion and the backup of cars on the streets. ‘Arrive after 3:05 or do the loop.’
- Remember, ‘Left In, Left Out’ of the school car park and the Church Stop, Drop & Go.
- Your child’s safety is a priority. Therefore, your cooperation with the following would be appreciated:
- Morning supervision begins at 8:00 am. Please do not drop off your child early without supervision.
- Afternoon supervision at Stop, Drop & Go ends at 3:30 pm so please ensure your child is picked up before this time. OSHC begins at 6:00am and closes at 6:00 pm if you would like to use their service.
- Stop, Drop & Go is the only area supervised in the afternoon, therefore, it is strongly suggested you only pick up your child from Stop, Drop & Go OR park your car and collect your child from inside the school grounds.
- To support the promotion of a safe school environment and to ensure the safety of all whilst attending school, please ensure there are no pets on school grounds. We ask you to wait outside the school gates if you have a pet. Thank you for your cooperation.
Act as a Learner and a Global Citizen
At Lourdes, we aim to Act as both a Learner and Global Citizen by treating others with respect, acting upon injustice, taking responsibility for our own actions and collaborating with others. Attending and being on time to school, wearing the correct uniform, and placing a high value on learning are also ways we can Act out our responsibility as a global citizen. Your assistance with helping us instil these values in your children is most appreciated. We encourage our learners to participate in the learning, set goals, and persist when in the learning pit. Yet it is not only about setting goals; it is about the habits we repeat that determine our success.
Habits to Make a Change
Author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, states that many people think that they lack motivation to achieve goals, but it is clarity they lack. People go about setting goals; however, it is the environment and daily routines that shape human behaviour and determine success. If you want better results, it is not just about settings goals, it is about the clarity and systems in place to practice and reach goals.
It does not really matter how long it takes for a habit to become automatic, what matters is that you take the actions to progress. Every time you practise the habit, you become that person and develop that identity. The goal should not be to read more books, but to become a reader in an environment where there are lots of books. The goal is not to write a book or write more it is to become a writer, not to run marathons but to become a runner. Every belief, including those about yourself, is learned and conditioned through experiences and your habits.
The more you repeat behaviour, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behaviour. To change your habits is not to focus on what you want to achieve, but on what you wish to become. As James Clear suggests, decide on the person you want to be and prove it to yourself with small wins. If you can change your habits, you can change your life.
What are the learning goals you have for this term and what are the systems in place to support these goals? What study area, homework routines and reading habits are in place that are conducive to learning? What changes can you make in the workplace or homelife to make it better? What is the positive in any situation? Something to get us thinking as we begin Term 3 and venture into the second half of 2022.
Upcoming Events
Thanks for reading,
Miranda
Ms Miranda Murray
Acting Principal
TERM 3 SCHOOL FEES
School fees for Term 3, 2022 were emailed out to families on Tuesday 19th July. Please check your email (and junk/spam) folder to ensure you have received your latest statement.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email accounts@ololtwb.catholic.edu.au or telephone Hazel at the office.
Thank you.
ICAS assessment
Our school will be offering the opportunity for your child in Year 4- 6 to participate in the ICAS Assessments again this year.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies.
Students from Year 4- 6 can participate in this test. All ICAS Assessments will be conducted by the students online here at the school. ICAS testing will occur in August.
If you would like your child to participate, you will need to register and pay by Monday 1 August 2022 using the details provided below. The cost of the Writing Test is $23.65 while all the other tests are $19.25. You can decide which tests you would like your child to do.
Learn more about ICAS here. (https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas)
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:
- go to Parent Portal here: (https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps)
- enter our school’s access code LPB220
- enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.
After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.
We will notify you of the date(s) that we run ICAS at the school and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. You and your child can access the results once released via the Reports Portal using the TAP ID and pin found on the back of the ICAS certificate.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.
Kind regards
Miranda
Faith & Religious Education News
Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you all have had a restful winter break. It’s been a busy start to the term.
Last Sunday, 17th July 2022 the parish had the first preparation meeting for those children (Year 3–6) preparing for the Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation in the OLOL Church. The children received their booklets and families completed some activities. All those who haven’t sent in a copy of their Baptism Certificate and A5 photo to the parish – please do so as soon as possible.
This meeting will be followed by the second parent/child information session on Sunday 7th August 2022 after Mass at 10:30am in the OLOL Church. The Third preparation meeting is on Sunday 21st August 2022 at 10:30am after Mass. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Tuesday 6th September 2022 at 7.00pm. Any questions or queries please contact the OLOL Parish office. (07 46341453 Monday – Friday 9.00am - 1.00pm) or email olol.parish@bigpond.com
It’s “Pyjama Day” tomorrow 21st July 2022 – Please join in the fun by wearing your Pyjamas and bringing a Gold coin to support the “Pyjama Angels Foundation” - this is a group who focus on providing reading support for children in foster care. We have our own “Pyjama Angels” – Mrs Monte and Mrs Wagner - who volunteer for this group.
Week 3 is Catholic Education Week. We are planning to celebrate with a special prayer assembly for our Grandparents starting at 9.00am on Wednesday 27th July 2022. At this point we are still going ahead – this will be dependent on ever evolving notification regarding Covid 19. Face Masks and Sanitiser will be available at the door of the hall. Please note there will be no assembly on Thursday 28th July 2022. Photos for the Grandparents Day power point need to be in by this afternoon.
Bishop’s In-service Pupil Free Day will be on Friday 29th July 2022. Teachers will be attending an In-service at Our Lady of Lourdes.
The OLOL parish has invited all school staff to attend a special “Thank you Mass” on Sunday 31st July 2022 at 9:30am.
Just reminder to take a photo of you and your Dad/Grandad/Poppy ( N.B. one Photo per family), and email it to Mrs Moore (Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au ) by Wednesday 24th August 2022 for our OLOL Fathers’ Day Mass Photostory on Wednesday 31st August 2022.
Dates for your Diary for Term 3
Thursday 21st July – Pyjama Day – Gold coin Donation for “The Pyjama Angels Foundation”
Catholic Education Week – Week 3
Wednesday 27th July - Catholic Education Week Assembly - Grandparents Day 9.00am – Led by Year 3
Friday 29th July – Bishop’s In-service Pupil Free Day
Sunday 31st July - Teacher Thank you Mass - 9:30am - OLOL Church
Monday 8th August – St Mary of the Cross Mackillop Feast Day Prayer 10.00am OLOL Church – Prep – 3 Classes
Monday 15th August – Assumption of Mary Feast Day – 10.00am OLOL Church – 4-6 classes
Wednesday 31st August – OLOL Fathers’ Day Mass – 10.00am - OLOL Hall
Friday 2nd September - CTJ Pupil Free Day
Tuesday 6th September – Sacrament of First Reconciliation–7 pm OLOL Church
Wednesday 14th September – Celebrating the Early Years (Prep to Year 2)
Thursday 15th September – Crazy Sock Coloured Clothes Day – Gold coin donation for Catholic Missions
Friday 16th September – End of Term 3 Assembly – 12 noon
Another busy term ahead!
Have a great week!
Janice
Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)
Prep
Welcome to Term 3 - we’ve had a great start! It was lovely to read the children’s holiday diaries and catch up on their adventures.
Both classes have sent home class newsletters - lots of important information and dates.
We continue with letter of the week, weekly maths concept, sight words, word families, sight words and home readers. All very important as we develop into Lourdes Learners. Thursday is still our library day with STEM and Art remaining on Tuesday and Sport and Music now on Wednesday.
Thursday is our pyjama day (gold coin please) to show our support for those children who are in foster care and the following week is Catholic Education Week where we celebrate all things Catholic with Grandparent’s Day being on Wednesday the 27th July.
Stay warm,
Melita, Tabitha and Liz
Year 1
The Year One students have settled nicely back into the routines of the classroom, ready for the learning for term 3. It has been wonderful to listen to holiday stories as the children recounted events from their time away from school.
This term, we will read the text, “TomTom” by Rosemary Sullivan. As we learn more about the character “TomTom”, the children will make connections to events in the life of TomTom to events in their own.
Jen and Ange
Year 2
Welcome to Week 2! It is great to see such enthusiasm this term as we begin our new units of work. In English we are learning about Poetry and creating an anthology to showcase different styles of poetry. In Hass we are learning about the olden days. We hope to see as many Grandparents as possible next Wednesday so that we can chat to them about what life was like during their childhood. If you haven’t already done so, please complete the quick survey that was sent home to help us create our ‘My Life’ timelines. In Science we are exploring different materials and in Maths we are becoming confident with multiplication. Homework is underway and we hope students like the new format. This term we are hoping for big improvement in our spelling and reading so any extra effort at home will certainly help. Mrs Verdon is collecting threading items for our end of term’s Under 8s day. Please start collecting any lids which we can drill holes in and any other materials which would be interesting to thread so that we can have a variety of materials. An excursion to Crow's Nest Historical Museum will take place in a few weeks. We will inform you of the date as soon as possible. Volunteers will be welcome and more details to follow! Below are some important dates for this term. Please let us know if you have any queries or questions.
Week 2
Thursday 21st July - Pyjama Day - gold coin donation and Pizza Day (orders made via Flexischools)
Thursday 21st July – Assembly 2.00pm - HALL
Thursday 21st July – Mrs. Taylor AWAY – Professional Development
Week 3
Wednesday 27th July - Grandparents Day - Assembly 9am
NO ASSEMBLY
Friday 29th July - Pupil Free - Bishops Inservice Day for Staff
Week 4
Thursday 4th August – Assembly 2.00pm – HALL
Thursday 4th August – Mrs. Taylor AWAY – Professional Development
Week 5
Monday 8th August - Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass - 10.00am
Monday 8th August – Mrs. Davis AWAY – Professional Development
Tuesday 9th August - Mrs. Davis AWAY – Professional Development
NO ASSEMBLY
Week 6
NO ASSEMBLY
Week 7
Thursday 25th August - Book Week Dress Up and Readers Cup
Thursday 25th August – Assembly 2.00pm - HALL
Week 8
Wednesday 31st August - Father’s Day Mass & Sausage Sizzle 10.00am
Friday 2nd September - Pupil Free Day - Consistency of Teacher Judgement Day
NO ASSEMBLY
Week 9
Swimming Week
Monday 5th September - Change over to summer uniform
NO ASSEMBLY - Due to swimming
Friday 9th September - Bush Dance 6.00pm
Week 10
Monday 12th September - Ballgames
Wednesday 14th September – Celebrating the Early Years
Thursday 15th September - Free Dress Day - Crazy Sock Day - Gold coin donation
Thursday 15th September - gymnastics
Friday 16th September - End of term assembly 12.00pm
Dennielle, Sarah, Aleisha
Year 3
Welcome back! It was great to see all of the students after the holidays and catch up on what everybody did. This term, we have a few changes to our weekly routine – our Art, Music and STEM lessons will be held each Monday morning, PE has changed to Wednesday and homework will be both distributed and collected on Fridays. Library days have remained the same (3S – Tuesday, 3G – Wednesday, 3GM – Thursday).
Next Wednesday, the Year 3s will lead the prayer at the Grandparents’ Day assembly (9.00am) and there will be activities in the classrooms after this for any grandparents who are able to join us.
We welcome Mrs Vanessa Pohlner, who will be working in the Year 3 classrooms every Wednesday and Thursday.
This term in English, we are looking at informative texts and will be working towards researching and creating a PowerPoint presentation on an animal. In Maths, we are currently investigating measurement of length, mass and capacity and in Science and HASS, we are learning to classify animals and plants and about Country and Place
Don’t forget about Pyjama Day and pizza tomorrow (Thursday 21st) and that Friday 29th July is a pupil-free day.
Have a great week
Angela, Sarah, Demi and Janice
Year 4
Welcome back to another term at Lourdes. All the children came back rested and are well and truly ready to learn again. Report cards were available to view electronically in the last week of Term 2, this is a timely reminder for the children to set goals for their behaviour and learning.
Congratulations to the students in Year 4 that competed at The Catholic Athletics Carnival last Friday. Amelia Lobwein, Amelia Steggall, Kooper Sondergeld, Lincon Dyne, Nate Sullivan, Sam Redfern, Slater Hope, Walter Jackwitz, Amarni Jackson, Billy Bishop, Indy-Rose Kelly, Nate Halpin, Chloe Walker, Indee Jakobi, Jaxon Bressington and Oscar Smith-Riley.
Homework this term will be given out on a Wednesday and is expected to be completed by the following Wednesday for 4L and 4G. 4B will be required to hand their homework in on a Friday. Please note that because Queensland won the origin, Mr Golightly promised the students that there will be no homework this week and it will commence again in week 3. Sports uniforms are to be worn on Tuesdays and Fridays this term. Each Friday for the first five weeks, we will learn bush dancing under the expert guidance of Mrs Fisher. In week 5 we will be presenting a Dance Liturgy, in which parents will be invited to attend and watch their child perform the dances. More information about this will be provided later in the term.
Units studied this term include a history unit focused on the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia. As with many of our units we integrate others, and so in Religion we will study the early church of Australia and the early church in the time after Jesus’s death. In our Mathematics unit we will be learning about decimals, multiplication and division facts, symmetry, measurement, number patterns and angles. In Science we will be exploring the topic of Forces.
Please check with your child if they are in need of any school supplies; whiteboard markers, rubbers and rulers may need replacing. This Thursday is Pyjama Day; children are asked to bring a gold coin donation.
Have a great couple of weeks!
Suzanne, Toni and Garry
Year 5
Welcome back to Term 3.
Key Events
- Thursday 21st July – 5P Assembly
- Thursday 21st July - Pyjama Day / Pizza Day – Gold Coin Donation
- Wednesday 27th July – Grandparents Day – Assembly 9.00am
- Thursday 28th July – Catholic Schools Carnival – Girls netball (Nellie Robinson), Boys touch (Kearney Springs)
- Friday 29th July – Pupil Free – Bishops Inservice Day for Staff
- Monday 15th August - Assumption of Mary – Mass 10.00am
- Thursday 25th August – Book Week Dress Up and Readers Cup
- Wednesday 31st August – Fathers Day Mass & Sausage Sizzle 10.00am
- Friday 2nd September – Pupil Free Day – Consistency of Teacher Judgement Day
- Week 9 – Swimming Week and Change over to summer uniform
- Friday 9th September – Bush Dance 6.00pm
- Thursday 15th September – Free Dress Day – Crazy Sock Day – Gold Coin Donation
Year 5 Learning
It is another busy term full of learning. Religion this term will be centered around Communities of Believers and different faiths, particularly Judaism. In English this term, the students will be focusing on the informative text type with a focus on performance leading into the Speaking Festival. The students will continue to develop their skills in reading, comprehension, spelling and handwriting. We will be running an integrated Math, HASS and Digital Technology unit this term. Students will create simple financial plans using Excel, explore our Earth, mapping features and the interconnected relationship between environment and people. A SWAY presentation will be created to publish their informative report on a country from Europe and North America. In Mathematics, there will be a continued effort to increase the quick recall of times tables and number facts whilst learning new concepts and problem solving strategies. In Science, the unit focuses on Adaptations and Survival of plants and animals in different environments. This term we will be teaching an Information Technology unit working with algorithms using apps such as FORMS and SWAY.
Camp
An initial online camp permission form will be sent home via email in the coming week. This must be returned by Friday 5th August. If you are having difficulty completing this, please see your class teacher. Camp is a vital part of the Year 5 experience where students learn to grow in independence and challenge themselves in unfamiliar settings. If you would like to discuss any aspects of camp, please contact the Year 5 teachers. Further information about the camp will be included in the initial camp form.
Assemblies
Year 5 will be leading prayer at assembly in Week 2 (5P), Week 4 (5M) and Week 7 (5F). Assembly begins at 2pm and will be held in the hall. Parents and families are welcome to attend assembly.
Homework
As the mighty Maroons won State of Origin, there is no homework set for week 2. We strongly encourage students to read and practise unknown number facts. There are some number facts tasks assigned in MathsOnline and this will also continue in week 3. Homework will return to normal in Week 4.
Sport
This term we revert back to Monday for PE lessons. Students are to wear sports uniform on Mondays and Fridays. This term we have our first round of interschool sport. This will take place in Weeks 2,4,5,6 and 7 on Friday. Students will need to have their sports equipment these weeks. If they require protective equipment (mouth guard, shin pads), they must have these items or they will not be allowed to participate. Students must also have a hat and water bottle, as well as asthma puffer/EpiPen if required. We strongly recommend that students have a sling bag for Friday sport, as students do not take school bags with them.
In week 3 students will be participating in the Catholic Schools carnival. Girls will be playing Netball at Nellie Robinson Park, and boys will play touch at Kearney Springs. Students will arrive at school and be transported to and from venues on the day. They will require ample food and water on the day.
We hope you have a wonderful week.
Tim, Jess and Emily
Year 6
Welcome back! We are all looking forward to an eventful Term 3.
Term 3 Units
Religion: Prophets
Mathematics: All aspects of Mathematics - number, operations, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability
English: Persuasive Texts
HaSS: Diversity Across Asia
Science: Living Things and Their Environment
Art: Tints, Shade, Line and Design
Health: Transitioning and Change
Specialist Lessons
This Semester will take place on Mondays (PE) – remember to wear your sports uniform on this day and Wednesday (Music, Drama and STEM).
Year 6 Camp
A reminder that we depart for our annual Year 6 camp on Monday 3rd October which is a public holiday! (Week 1 Term 4) Mr Golightly organises our camp and will advise of camp meeting dates, approximate cost, what to bring etc during this term. Thanks to families who have completed the online form indicating that their child will or won’t be attending camp.
Athletics Carnivals
West Zone - Tuesday 9 August
Darling Downs – Wednesday 24 August
Well done to all students who competed at the Catholic Schools’ Carnival.
Pyjama Day
Tomorrow (Thursday 21 July) is Pyjama Day – students are permitted to wear their pyjamas to school for a gold coin donation to support children in foster care.
Catholic Netball and Athletics
The annual Catholic School Touch (boys) and Netball (girls) carnivals will be held during Catholic Education Week on Thursday 28th July. Boys’ touch will be held at Kearney Springs and girls’ netball will be held at Nell E Robinson.
Arriving late and leaving early
Every minute at school counts – we’ve all seen the advertisements and believe it or not, it’s true. Please, where possible, make appointments for your children after school. It’s disruptive to your child’s education to be picked up early or dropped off late, just to beat the traffic or to have an early mark. Also, teachers will continue to upload work to Teams, One Note and Canvas accounts. If students are well enough, they encouraged to work from home if absent.
First day/year of school photos
Keep them rolling in – we need a photo of your son or daughter from their first year of schooling before the end of this term. Photos will be used in end of year PowerPoint presentations. Please email one photo to class teachers.
Library Borrowing
Borrowing each Monday – books to be returned each Friday.
Pupil Free Day
Friday 29th July is a pupil free day. Teachers will still attend school for an update on the Religious Education Curriculum.
Homework
We will continue with online homework this Semester. Students are asked to complete Maths Online and Reading Eggs activities plus the Weekly Reading Log, by 8:00 am each Friday morning. Thankfully, the Mighty Queenslanders won last week and gave us a week off.
Before and After School Catch Ups/Absenteeism notifications
A reminder that we would appreciate some notice if you wish to catch up before or after school. Also, it would be appreciated if any notice of absenteeism could be advised before the roll is completed each morning at 8.30am.
Friday Sport
Friday sport begins this Friday 22 July – students are reminded to organise mouthguards, shin guards etc. if needed.
Songs for end of year
We’re always on the lookout for suitable songs for our end of year assembly and Mass. Students have been asked to submit suggestions to their class teachers – they will need to print the lyrics from suggested songs, pass them by parents first and then pass suggestions on to class teachers.
Larry, Kylie and Shauna
STEM
Welcome to Term 3 STEM. We are excited to kick off another wonderful Term of creating, collaborating, critical thinking and problem solving.
The Preps, year 1s and year 2s are learning some beginner coding to develop their computational thinking skills. This will involve unplugged coding activities, using the Beebots and Probots, and an introduction to the Scratch Junior coding program to become familiar with algorithms, decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and debugging.
Year 3 and 4 are discovering how technology has changed the way our agricultural industry produces food and fibre. They will have the opportunity to innovate their own food product and document the journey from paddock to plate, whilst considering elements such as its nutritional value, package design, storage and shelf life.
In conjunction with their science unit, Year 5 are learning all about structural, physiological and behavioural animal adaptations. They will be designing and building their own animal with unique adaptations for its environment. The microbits can be incorporated into their designs and coded to make sounds or even control movement.
Year 6 are investigating food production in managed environments. They will be building mini-greenhouses and designing a scientific investigation to measure different variables involved in growing vegetables. They will be able to collect soil moisture and temperature data using the microbits and stream their data into Excel to create graphs and analyse results.
We will also be running some STEM activities in the hall for Grandparents’ Day so they can pop in to share in the fun!
Laura
As learning support teachers a lot of our day is spent with students who have learning difficulties or learning disabilities. As explained in previous newsletters we assist class teachers to support the students in their classes using the Response to Intervention Model. We analyse Semester 1 reading data and discuss with teachers how best we can support them and their students. In keeping with the RTI Model, we reorganised Tier 1, 2 and 3 support groups.
This term we will be providing information about learning difficulties and learning disabilities. This information comes from AUSPELD: A Guide for Parents (2018). Over the rest of the term we will provide information about specific learning disorders.
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in reading (dyslexia)
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia)
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia)
The difference between a learning difficulty and a learning disability
Many children do find learning the foundation skills in literacy and numeracy quite difficult and, if this is not addressed early, may go on to struggle in almost all areas of the curriculum for years to come.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found in a recent survey that one in every two 15 to 19 year olds in Australia had such low literacy skills that they would not be able to meet the demands of a modern workplace.
Although some of these students may have a learning disability, many do not. They have not developed adequate skills due to a range of cumulative factors and are generally described as having learning difficulties.
Children with learning difficulties underachieve academically for a wide range of reasons, including factors such as: sensory impairment (weaknesses in vision or hearing); severe behavioural, psychological or emotional issues; English as a second language or dialect (ESL or ESD); high absenteeism; ineffective instruction; or, inadequate curricula. These children have the potential to achieve at age-appropriate levels once provided with programs that incorporate appropriate support and evidence-based instruction.
Children with learning disabilities have unexpected and persistent difficulties in specific areas of academic achievement as a result of an underlying neurodevelopmental disorder, the origin of which includes an interaction of genetic, cognitive and environmental factors. One of the defining features of a specific learning disability is that the difficulty continues to exist, despite appropriate instruction and intervention.
Children with a learning disability:
- have underlying difficulties in a key academic skill which have a lifelong impact;
- do not perceive or process information as efficiently or accurately as children without a learning disability;
- often have a family member with learning difficulties;
- do not respond to appropriate intervention in the expected way;
- do not have an intellectual disability and may have highly developed competencies in numerous areas.
What do we know about types of learning disabilities?
A specific learning disability (specific learning disorder) is characterised by persistent difficulties learning a key academic skill. This academic underachievement is unexpected, and is not the result of a more general learning difficulty, such as an intellectual disability. There are a number of specific learning disabilities that have the potential to impact on a student’s school performance:
- A specific learning disorder with impairment in reading, often referred to as dyslexia.
- A specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression, often referred to as dysgraphia.
- A specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics, often referred to as dyscalculia.
Do students with specific learning disabilities learn differently?
Students with specific learning disabilities do not require an inherently different teaching approach in order to learn. Essentially, all students benefit from exposure to high-quality, evidence-based programs and teaching strategies, including explicit instruction and dual coding (the simultaneous presentation of verbal and visual information). However, this is especially the case for individuals with specific learning disabilities. The main learning difference observed between individuals with a specific learning disability and those without is the length of time it takes them to learn particular academic subskills. Individuals with specific learning disabilities often require more time and more repetition in order to master these skills. However, once they have mastered the skill, or developed an understanding of the new concept, they are likely to perform as well as, or possibly even better than, their peers. It is also the case that although individuals with learning disabilities have difficulty in specific areas, they will often excel in others.
We hope this information will clarify some of the misconceptions that are on the internet and in the media about learning difficulties and learning disabilities.
Allyson & Maria
Allyson Jessen & Maria Kehoe
Learning Support Teachers
Upcoming Dates
Week |
Date |
Event |
Venue |
Who |
2 |
22/07/22 |
Friday Sport Commences |
|
Grades 5/6 |
3 |
27/07/22 |
1500m |
Glennie |
Selected Students |
3 |
28/07/22 |
Catholic Netball |
Nell E Robinson |
Grades 5/6 Girls |
3 |
28/07/22 |
Catholic touch |
Kearney’s Spring |
Grades 5/6 Boys |
5 |
09/08/22 |
West Track & Field |
O’Quinn Street |
OLOL School Team |
7 |
27/08/22 |
DD Track & Field |
Harristown SHS |
West Zone Team |
9 |
5/09/22 |
Swimming Lessons |
Glennie Pool |
P-Grade 6 |
10 |
12/09/22 |
Ball Games Carnival |
Hall |
P-Grade 6 |
10 |
13/09/22 |
Gala Day |
Kearney’s Spring |
Grade 4 |
Representative School Sport—Toowoomba & Darling Downs Teams
Throughout the course of the year Toowoomba Primary School Sport and Darling Downs School Sport offer trials to eligible students for a variety of team and individual sports. To be eligible for selection, students need to be born in 2012, 2011 or 2010. Strict nomination requirements apply, and it is at the sole discretion of the school to decide whether to nominate individual students.
In order to gain interest levels and an idea of previous experience, an electronic representative Sport Nomination Form has been sent out. This form outlines all relevant information regarding the trials for the whole of 2022. Please thoroughly read all information. If your child is of a high standard in their chosen sport/s and would like to be considered for nomination, please complete the nomination form. No student will be nominated for a trial without a completed medical form and online expression of interest. Here is the LINK for the form.
2022 Track & Field
Congratulations to Beetson on a clean sweep of all the trophies! And to all our Age Champion and Spirit Award Winners!
OLOL Track & Field Carnival Medallions – Sponsorship
Thank you to the wonderful families below for their very generous support of our Track & Field Medallions. Please support our local family businesses.
Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au
Book Week
Book Week theme for 2022 is Dreaming with eyes open. We encourage students to come along on Thursday 25th August dressed as a book character. On this day we will also be hosting our annual school Readers Cup competition. Start thinking now! There is plenty of inspiration on Pinterest.
2022 Readers Cup Titles
Year 5/6 |
Sorry Day |
Looking after country with fire |
Year 3/4 |
Kookoo Kookaburra |
Gentle genius of trees |
Yar 1/2 |
Coming home to country |
Walk of the Whales |
PREP |
Where is Galah? JF MOR |
Students will share these books with their classes and answer a range of questions about all aspects of the text in small groups. Winning group members will WIN a special book pack!
Library WebApp
Please be sure to bookmark the Lourdes Library WebApp. This site offers a safer pathways to the Internet for students.
IntegratedSTEM
There are still some spots available for IntegratedSTEM this term. Please contact Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au to discuss. Sessions begin Thursday 28 July 2022.
Chess
Chess is back on in Term 3. We are planning to attend the School Teams Chess Tournament on September 6th. Students must be currently enrolled in lessons to attend the tournament. Please be aware that we do not offer Chess in Term 4. Contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au
https://forms.office.com/r/zFLYM45T58
Book Club
Issue 5 catalogues have been distributed. Orders must be placed by July 27th. All orders are to be placed via LOOP. See instructions below. Thank you for your continued support of Book Club at Lourdes.
FREE BOOKS FREE BOOKS FREE BOOKS
Please be aware the Scholastic has a FREE BOOK offer this issue.
Enjoy your books.
Danielle & Gael
Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte