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Ms Angela Gilbert / Mrs Sarah Jackman
Mr Garry Birch / Mr Chris Golightly
Communities such as ours at Lourdes thrive when there are events and activities that bring people together and strengthen the fabric of that community. As we enter the final half of Term 3, there are exciting activities ahead that will be weaved into our days. These include Book Week Dress Up and Readers’ Cup, Fathers’ Day Mass & Sausage Sizzle, Swimming lessons for all classes, Family Fun Night, Ball Games Carnival, Yr 2 Excursion to Matilda Musical, Yr 4 Gala Day, Celebrating the Early Years Day, P-2 Gymnastics, Crazy Sock Day to raise money for Catholic Mission, Pie Day, Yr 6 Excursion to Parliament House and our End of Term Assembly on the final day of term.
Not to mention moving into the wonderful newly refurbished and constructed classrooms in Merici Building that will be ready for us in Week 8. The builders will start work in Giabal at the end of Week 8 where Year 1 and Year 3 classes are located. Builders will require work to be done in Giabal building, including asbestos checks on Friday 2nd (pupil free day) and Saturday 3rd of September, therefore, no one is able to enter the school grounds on these days.
Prior to Friday in Week 8, Year 4 and Year 5 will move into Merici Building. Year 1 will move into the demountable classrooms that are joined together, Year 3S will move into the third demountable classroom. Year 3G and 3GM will move into the old Music room where Year 5P and 5M have been this year. And Learning Support will move into the Library where 5F have been. Removalists will help us move large items. For now, until Term 4, our administration office will remain in the Library until our new Admin building is completed. We will also have access to the junior playground equipment and eating area until the end of Term 3.
As we learnt from our initial move out of Merici building and the now demolished Admin building last year, parents, teachers and students will no doubt adjust to the upcoming changes to usual routines, albeit some quicker than others. However, as with any challenge, with patience and ongoing support from each other, the end of the building project will be upon us before we know it and we’ll all be enjoying the amazing new facilities.
The new facilities include contemporary indoor and outdoor learning spaces, a new reception office and lounge area for staff and P&F and School Advisory Council meetings, additional toilet facilities, new outdoor play areas and verandas that will connect all buildings together, along with a brand-new lift! The end goal will be worth the disruptions and temporary inconveniences. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and support; it is tremendously appreciated.
Local Parking and Traffic
A reminder that our neighbours are very patient with us queuing and parking along their streets whilst parents drop off and collect their child from school. Understandably, they are not so patient when cars are parked across driveways or on lawns, so please be mindful of our school neighbours. Do not park across driveways. Avoid arriving in the afternoons right on bell times so traffic is staggered.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent Teacher Interviews this year will be managed through the Parent Portal for all classes. If you have not yet signed up to use our Parent Portal, please do so at your earliest convenience. Previous communication with access keys and instructions on how to set up Sentral for Parents have been forwarded home. You are welcome to drop into the office to see Carla who can assist you or send an email to lourdes@twb.catholic.edu.au to ask for assistance.
From next Monday 22 August, you will be able to book a convenient time to meet with your child’s teacher. Depending on teacher availability, these will be conducted in Week 9 or 10 of Term 3, and/or Week 1 of Term 4. Available times will be shown in the Portal. These interviews are vital to maintain clear communication about your child’s learning progress. They provide a great opportunity for teachers and parents to clarify understandings around learning and assessment, as well as effort, attitude, and behaviour in class and around school. Teachers will be able to provide next learning steps and suggestions to support learning at home.
More information will be provided to you in the coming days with Instructions on how to set up your Interview time in the Parent Portal.
Thanks for reading,
Miranda
Ms Miranda Murray
Acting Principal
DENTAL VAN 42A NEWS
Dental Van 42A is at Newtown State School and we have issued registration forms to every family here at Our Lady of Lourdes. Please complete these forms and return them to the School Office by the 17th August 2022. Once we receive the registration forms and they have been processed, the Dental Team (Karen and Sandra) from Van 42A will contact parents for an appointment at Newtown State School.
Parents will also need to sign in at the Newtown State School office before attending the Dental Van, (please make sure to bring your Medicare card to this appointment).
The Dental Van is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8.30am until 4.00pm and closed Thursday and Friday.
The phone number for the Dental Van Team (Karen and Sandra) is 0408 767 779.
In an emergency please contact 1300 082 662 at 8.00am Monday to Friday
Thank you.
We talk a lot about being Lourdes Learners by focusing on the traits of a learner and global citizen. A common reference point is the Learning Pit and seeing failure as an opportunity to grow. We encourage metacognitive thinking, which is simply thinking about our own thinking. It is being aware of our own thoughts and processes. We challenge each other at Lourdes to check our thinking and tell ourselves some of these effective mantras to help our learning and our life:
“My effort and attitude determine my abilities”
“I can learn anything I put my mind to.”
“Mistakes help my brain grow.”
“I will have a go and try new things.”
“I will not give up when I am in the Learning Pit.”
“What are some strategies I can use to help me get out of the pit?”
“I can learn from others’ thoughts and problem-solving strategies.”
When we think, we learn. And when we learn, we think. Therefore, the way we think is vital to whether we succeed or not and whether we learn or not. If we are aware of our thoughts, we can help our attitude and outlook on learning and on life. Students’ understanding of content, and even their memory for content, increases when they think about the concepts they are learning about and use strategies, dispositions, and beliefs about themselves as learners to overcome challenges.
Thinking can be made visible through the use of effective questioning, listening, documentation, and facilitative structures called thinking routines. Teachers often use thinking routines as a way to support and structure thinking. Scaffolds can be used to lead students’ thinking to higher levels of understanding.
Practicing strategies to think, retrieve knowledge and use knowledge helps make learning stick. Simply asking your child what they learnt when reading today or what they learnt in Maths, helps them think about the learning and retrieve knowledge. This strengthens learning. Quick writing activities on what students learnt that day or in a lesson, can help improve learning. Our Lourdes Learners are encouraged to engage in the learning process. They are given opportunities to think and to draw on dispositions and strategies to try again, practice positive self-talk, participate in discussions, and try different approaches to a challenge.
Maths Wizards
Congratulations to our Year 5 and 6 teams who did a tremendous job representing Lourdes at yesterday’s State-Wide Maths Quiz, hosted by the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers. Teams of three competed. Amazingly, we placed First, Second and equal Third. We have clever Mathematicians at OLOL! At least the first two teams will go through to regional finals in a couple of weeks. Well done and a big thank you to Mrs Mackenzie for helping them prepare and assisting them on the night.
Have a great week,
Miranda
Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal
Does a child you know have anxiety? Help your child manage anxiety and become more emotionally resilient - this full toolkit of tips and ideas really works!
Fear-Less Triple P Online - Free access for 12 months
- Get a better understanding of anxiety and fear and what can be done about it.
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- Do it on your phone, computer, or tablet.
- Videos and fun interactive learning.
- 24/7 online, at your place, at your pace.
- Track your progress and print your certificate.
The Fear-Less Triple P Program is part of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. Fear-Less isn’t about eliminating fear altogether – sometimes, fear protects us. Instead, it’s about giving your family a toolbox of strategies, skills, and knowledge to manage anxious feelings and stop unnecessary worrying. Fear-Less Triple P is based on extensive research with families of anxious children by clinical psychologists. It can work for you too — and now it’s online! Seven informative modules
- Understanding Anxiety
- Promoting emotional resilience
- Setting a good example & encouraging realistic thinking
- Understanding Avoidance
- Responding to children’s anxiety
- Constructive problem solving and maintaining progress
- Parenting during COVID-19
This week we are providing information on two more specific learning disorders; (1) A specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression, often referred to as dysgraphia and (2) A specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics, often referred to as dyscalculia. Once again, this information comes from AUSPELD: A Guide for Parents (2018).
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.
Specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia)
A specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia) often remains undiagnosed. It is a persistent difficulty with written expression, handwriting and/or spelling that may occur in isolation, but more often, occurs in conjunction with dyslexia.
Dysgraphia can be defined as:
… a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent written expression and by poor spelling and handwriting skills. These ongoing delays in writing are often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
Students who have a specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia) often have to work much harder and longer to produce written work to the same standard as an individual with typically developing writing skills.
In the past, a specific learning disability with impairment in written expression was identified as either a language-based dysgraphia or a motor-based dysgraphia. It is now more common to use the term specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression when describing the language-based difficulties and developmental coordination when describing the motor-based difficulties associated with written expression.
When looking at identifying a Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia),
deficits in one or both of the following key academic areas are usually present:
- Difficulties with spelling (e.g., may add, omit or substitute vowels or consonants).
- Difficulties with written expression (e.g., makes multiple grammatical or punctuation errors within sentences; employs poor paragraph organisation; written expression of ideas lacks clarity).
Specific learning disorder in written expression (dysgraphia) across the school years
Children who have a specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysgraphia) will show some or many of the difficulties listed below. They may not display all of these characteristics.
Specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia)
A specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia) is an innate difficulty in learning and comprehending mathematics. Children who have a specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia) have trouble understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, learning mathematical facts, and a number of other related difficulties.
Dyscalculia can be defined as:
… a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Learners with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they do so mechanically and without confidence.
The severity of mathematical impairment differs depending on the individual. Although it can be argued that many of the defining features of a specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia) can also be seen in children who do poorly in mathematics, it is the degree of these difficulties and the resistance to remedial intervention that set children with dyscalculia apart from others with learning difficulties.
When looking at identifying a Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia), deficits in one or both of the following key academic areas are usually present:
- Difficulties mastering number sense, number facts or calculation (e.g., has poor understanding of numbers, their magnitude, and relationships; counts on fingers to add single-digit numbers instead of recalling the
math fact as peers do; gets lost in the midst of arithmetic computation and may switch procedures).
- Difficulties with mathematical reasoning (e.g., has severe difficulty applying mathematical concepts, facts, or procedures to solve quantitative problems).
Specific learning disorder in mathematics (dyscalculia) across the school years
Children who have a specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia) will show some or many of the difficulties listed below. They may not display all of these characteristics.
We trust you find this information useful.
Allyson & Maria
Allyson Jessen & Maria Kehoe
Learning Support Teachers
Faith & Religious Education News
I have shared a photograph of the beautiful shadow box which was created for the Queensland Launch of the 2022 Catholic Education Week. Each school in the Toowoomba Diocese created a symbol from their school using the inspirational words of “Communities of Faith, Hope and Love.” Our Lady of Lourdes was allocated “Love” - Our wooden love heart with our school crest was created from the silky oak doors of the old Principals Office. We thank Ross Haylock, our P&F President for his creativity. Our heart is on the 3rd Row – second from the right. This Shadow box is now at the Micah Centre at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office.
Last Monday the Prep to Year 3 students shared a prayer to remember Saint Mary Mackillop – our First Australian Saint. Saint Mary Mackillop was someone who valued education so much, that she started schools for poor catholic children to attend. She was supported by women who became the Sisters of St Joseph – Saint Mary and her sisters started schools across Australia and New Zealand. We appreciate her Motto of “Never seeing a need without doing something about it”. Just like we, at Our Lady of Lourdes are CALLed To Think like Learners and Global Citizens – Mary thought what she could do and did it! Our Catholic Schools in Australia are a testament to people like Saint Mary Mackillop, who paved the way for the opportunity for us to be educated so well.
On Monday, the Year 4 –6 students shared a Mass with the OLOL Parish celebrating the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary- the Mother of Jesus. This day is one of the Holy Days of Obligation in our Church Year. Mary was a very important role model in the life of Jesus. She nurtured and guided Jesus to become the wonderful man we all aspire to be like. The Catholic Church honours Mary the Mother of Jesus with this special day, where we remember Mary’s contribution to the life of Jesus by attending a Mass.
Both these days are called Feast Days – What is a feast day? Why do we celebrate them?
According to the Catholic church, a feast day is the day a particular saint is remembered and celebrated. The church has a calendar that reflects all saints' days throughout the year. It is usually an annual religious celebration where prayers and readings are said to remember a particular saint. Mostly a feast day is on the day of the saint's death as it is believed that this is the day they entered heaven. Mary MacKillop's day is the 8th of August - the day she died in North Sydney in 1909. Whereas the “Assumption of Mary – the Mother of Jesus” is celebrated on the 15th of August because Pope Pius XII declared this to be a special day to honour Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Our annual Fathers Day Mass is on Wednesday 31st August, 2022 at 10.00am in the school hall. All are welcome.
Instead of a Fathers Day Stall, we are planning a sausage sizzle for the children and their Father/Grandad/Poppy/Pa after Mass. We will need some helpers to cook the sausages, and some servers to hand the sausages out. If you can lend a hand, please let Janice know.
Please fill in the RSVP “Fathers Day Sausage Sizzle forms” we have sent to families – so we can gauge the approximate number of sausages and bread slices we need to purchase.
Please send in your photo of your Dad/Grandad/Poppy/Pa for the Photostory reflection by next Wednesday 24th August. (N.B One photo per family)
N.B. There is no assembly on Thursday 1st September, 2022 and there is a Pupil Free Day on Friday 2nd September, 2022.
The final meeting for the 2022 Reconciliation Preparation is on Sunday 21st August after 9:30am Mass. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 8 including the candidate. The parish will be asking for confirmation of numbers at the workshop on the 21st August. Completed booklets should be returned to your child’s classroom teacher no later than Monday 29th August. They will be returned to the candidate on the night of the celebration.
The Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation is on Tuesday 6th September at 7.00pm. The children will have a practise of the ceremony during school time. We will have short final meeting at 3:30pm in the church on Monday, 5th September to check seating and answer any last minute questions. Candidates and their guests are asked to be at the church on the 6th by 6:40pm. Any questions or queries please contact the OLOL Parish office. (07 4634 1453 Monday – Friday 9.00am – 1.00pm) or email olol.parish@bigpond.com
We have our Crazy Sock Day on Thursday 15th September. Wear your craziest socks, wear your sun safe coloured clothes, suitable footwear, brimmed hat and bring along a gold coin for the Catholic Missions. We are also asking families to donate a new pair of socks with their gold coin – The Gold coin is going to Catholic Mission and Socks to The Base Soup Kitchen. Socks can be sent in at any time. Please support both these initiatives to encourage our students to be thoughtful Global Citizens for our local and global communities.
If you have any other RE queries or questions, please contact me on Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au or contact the school office.
Have a great week.
Janice
Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)
Prep
The month of August is moving along nicely in Prep! We have been collecting the daily weather, practising our ball games, developing our number skills, becoming readers and writers .... Busy little bees!
We are looking forward to hearing your child next week tell us about their favourite book character - please remember to practise at home. This will help their confidence when they present to the class.
Lot’s happening over the next few weeks - please keep an eye on our classroom whiteboard, notes in satchels and emails to stay up to date.
Cobb & Co Museum was very interesting - we started with a smoking ceremony and then a great chat with Buddy who told us about some animals, showed us some traditional costumes, and taught us some dances. Please enjoy our photos.
Cheers
Melita, Tabitha and Liz
Year 1
Welcome to Week 6.
What a busy term we are having! After studying the text, TomTom, the children wrote a description of the character TomTom. Whilst writing the description, they were asked to consider using the sentence types they have been learning about in class. The children wrote interesting descriptions which included a simple sentence, a preposition start, a pronoun start, and an adverb start.
This week, the children will start reading Dreaming stories to explore the setting and the plot of texts.
Over the last two Fridays, we were fortunate to have Fire Education with our local firefighters. This is always exciting for our Grade 1 cohort, as they learn about fire safety, look through the fire truck and spray the water hose to help water the oval.
In Science, students have been learning about materials, their properties, and purposes. They have been getting physical with certain materials by testing what physical change they can undergo and how flexible they are by bending it, twisting it and stretching it. This week, students learnt about the concept of elasticity and its qualities as a material. In learning partners, students investigated elasticity by using gummy snakes to test how far they could be stretched.
Remember to start thinking about the Book Week dress-up day.
Thanks for reading.
Jen and Ange
Year 2
Welcome to Week 6! We had a wonderful time at Crows Nest Museum, learning so much about the olden days and just enjoying being out in the beautiful sunshine. Families may wish to take a drive out to Crows Nest to visit the museum. Your Year 2 child will no doubt be a very knowledgeable tour guide! Thanks to the amazing parents that came along to help on the day. It really was a lovely day!
In Maths this week we are learning about division and chance. We are also learning different ways of representing data using some of the data that we collected on our excursion.
In English we are delving into the world of George’s Marvellous Medicine, studying the language of Roald Dahl, to bump up our writing. We are also looking at George’s recipe for marvellous medicine, which has an extensive list of revolting ingredients. We will use our knowledge to write our own procedures for a delicious recipe.
In Religion we are continuing our learning about covenants, focusing this week on the covenant God made to the Jewish people, and the customs and traditions of Judaism. We will explore the concept of Mitzvah, whereby we do a good deed for someone else. We also explore the terms, Shabbat, tefillin and tallit.
Don’t forget that our dress up day for Book Week is next week on Thursday where we will celebrate the theme “Dreaming with Eyes Open.”
Thanks for your continued support. Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns.
Dennielle, Sarah, Aleisha
Year 3
It is hard to believe we are over halfway through another great term. Last week, the Year 3 students started learning PowerPoint skills and have done a fantastic job applying them to their animal PowerPoints. We will continue working on these over the next couple of weeks and students will then present them to their class. They will also be able to show you at home, by logging into their Office 365 account. Students will also be using the notes from their animal research to write informative paragraphs. In Maths this week, students are investigating number patterns and multiplication; in Science we will start to look at classifying plants and are looking at some of Australia’s neighbouring countries in HASS. Our focus in Religion is how various Old Testament writers have shared their images of God and how we see God in our everyday lives.
We would like to congratulate our School Based Apprenticeship Student, Cassie Lawson on her upcoming interview with Skills Based Traning.
The Father's Day Mass is on Wednesday 31st August at 10.00am in the school hall. All are welcome. After the Mass, there will be a sausage sizzle for children and their fathers/grandfathers - don’t forget to fill in the form that has been emailed home. If you are able to assist with the sausage sizzle, could you please let Mrs Moore know.
Please also send in your photo for the Father’s Day photostory to Mrs Moore (janice.moore@twb.catholic.edu.au) by next Wednesday 24th August. (N.B one photo per family)
Have a great week.
Angela, Sarah, Demi, and Janice
Year 4
Welcome to Week 6! Isn’t this term flying by? Thank you for all the parents that attended our celebration Liturgy on Friday, it was wonderful for the students to be able to showcase the dancing they have been learning with Mrs Fisher over the past five weeks. Thank you also to Mrs Fisher for coming back to teach us the dances, we are so lucky to have this opportunity.
Congratulations to the following students that went to the West Zone Athletics Carnival last Tuesday. Amelia Lobwein, Amelia Steggall, Kooper Sondergeld, Lincon Dyne, Nate Sullivan, Samuel Redfern, Slater Hope, Walter Jackwitz, Amarni Jackson, Indy-Rose Kelly, Nate Halpin, Billy Bishop, Chloe Walker, Jaxon Bressington and Oscar Smith-Riley. We are so proud of you all!
Most children have been working hard in completing all set work. Regular practice of tables and spelling over the week is the optimum way to remember. Over the last few weeks, class groups have been busy learning about historical recounts. Students will be writing their own historical recount from the perspective of a child convict in the coming weeks. The students will also need to rehearse at home, as they will all be required to orally present this piece of writing, later in the term.
The Assumption of Mary Feast Day was on Monday. Thank you to Mrs Moore for her organization in making this such a special day! Father’s Day Mass will be on Wednesday the 31st of August commencing at 10am. All fathers are welcome to attend and please remember if you would like a photo included in the reflection (one per family), email it to Mrs Moore as soon as possible. Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au
Next week (week 7) is Book Week and Thursday (25th August 2022) is Dress-up day and our Readers Cup competition. The Book Week theme this year is ‘Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open’. Outfits need to be sun safe – e.g. shoulders and midriffs covered and no ‘short’ shorts. For this event, there is NO expectation of a gold coin donation. Thank you, Mrs Leathart for making this week special!
Have a great week all.
Suzanne, Toni and Garry
Year 5
Key Events
- Thursday 25th August – Book Week Dress Up and Readers Cup
- Wednesday 31st August – Fathers Day Mass & Sausage Sizzle 10am
- Friday 2nd September – Pupil Free Day – Consistency of Teacher Judgement Day
- Week 9 – Swimming Week and Change over to summer uniform
- Friday 9th September – P&F Family Games Night - 5.30pm
- Thursday 15th September – Free Dress Day – Crazy Sock Day – Gold Coin Donation & Pie Day
Over the next few weeks, we will be continuing to focus on informative paragraph writing. The best thing about informative writing this term is that students can demonstrate their English writing knowledge in both Hass and Science, giving them even more opportunities to succeed and refine this skill. Over the next two weeks, we are moving into the assessment phase.
In English and Science, students are turning their researching skills and collected notes into informative paragraphs to inform an audience about animals' adaptations.
In Hass, students have begun researching a country in North America and Europe. This research will be used to create an informative document including dot point and paragraphs. Once complete, they will use their digital skills to create a SWAY presentation which they will present in small groups during class.
In Maths, we are looking at simple budgets and learning how to create these using programming skills in Excel. Students will be moving into revising key concepts of Chance in the last weeks of the term.
In Religion, we are looking at communities of believers. Students are delving into Judaism and learning some of the rituals and customs of Jewish people.
Mindsets and positive attitudes are on the hot topic list at school. It is important for students, and adults, to focus on the good! We can guarantee that most days, there will be obstacles to overcome, learning that is hard and challenging, people who are hard to deal with, and mistakes can be made. Our choice is how we deal with this. Do we dwell and focus on negativity, or do we embrace the opportunities to change, and learn, from these encounters? As a cohort, we are discussing what this can be like, with examples for students and adults, to help develop our understanding in this area. If you can assist in reinforcing and encouraging these mindsets at home, it would be greatly appreciated.
Organisation skills are also at the forefront of our minds over the next few weeks. Please encourage your child to organise themselves, especially on a Thursday night before Friday sport. Unfortunately, there are several students missing out on participating because they don’t have the correct clothing, equipment etc. This will be very important when we have swimming in week 9. It is very important that children with asthma have their asthma puffers at school every day and that the expiry date is checked regularly.
Tim, Jess and Emily
Year 6
Year 6 Camp
Week 2, Term 4 (10th -14th October) were confirmed at the end of last week. Itineraries, costs etc. will be completed by Ms Murray and sent home to families very soon.
Athletics Carnivals
Well done to all the athletes who represented OLOL at the West Zone Track and Field Carnival last week. Congratulations to the athletes who successfully made it through to next week’s Darling Downs carnival. We wish you all the very best.
Friday Sport
We’ve all been thoroughly enjoying Friday afternoon interschool sport. Two more weeks to go.
Prep Photos
Thank you to the families who have emailed in photos. By the end of term, please forward one photo of your son or daughter from their first year of schooling.
Assessment Calendar
Please regularly refer to the assessment calendar to keep up to date. Today the students had a formative assessment for Science.
Homework
Please ensure that all homework is completed each week. The homework routine hasn’t changed from the beginning of the year, except for a few additional activities, as mentioned below. Students are reminded to have a homework routine – a place and time where and when work is completed as accurately and neatly as possible.
Reading should be a nightly ritual. Kids who read well, write well! Kids who read succeed!
We will continue to add small additional activities to homework routines until the end of this year. Students will need to concentrate and listen to instructions on how to complete tasks, when they’re due and how to submit – great skills in preparation for high school.
Fathers’ Day
Remember to send Fathers’ Day photos to Mrs Moore for the Father’s Day PowerPoint.
Father’s Day Mass and sausage sizzle will be held in the Hall on Wednesday 31st August at 10.00am.
Maths Competition
We wish Ellie, Damian, Jay, Archer, Aiden and Reeve (as well as Harry, Cody and Jorja from Yr. 5) all the best as they compete in the QMAT Maths comp which will be held at St Ursula’s College.
Book Week Dress Up
Our book week dress up and Reader’s Cup Competition will be held next week. The theme this year is “Dreaming With Your Eyes Open”. Students are to make sure that they are familiarising with the Readers’ Cup texts: Sorry Day and Looking After Country with Fire.
Whole School Swimming
Week 9 Monday 5th September – Friday 9th September.
Crazy Sock and Pie Day
Thursday 15 September
Larry, Kylie and Shauna
STEM
This Term is just flying by! We’ve all been having fun with our STEM learning and problem solving and we are eagerly awaiting the move into our new STEM space towards the end of week 8.
The Prep’s, year 1’s and year 2’s have quickly become confident beginner coders. The Scratch Junior coding program has proved very popular. This app is available to download for free if students would like to continue practising their coding skills at home and maybe even teach Mum and Dad! This week we will be moving on to learn about data and graphs.
The year 3’s and 4’s have created some amazing new food ideas! They are very keen to taste test their new recipes, so we will try cooking some of these in week 10. We will ask for some ingredient donations from families closer to the time.
Our imaginative year 5’s have been busy designing and creating their weird and wonderful creatures with adaptations. It is exciting to see these take shape as the students test out their ideas with the makerspace materials and then persevere to find solutions when things don’t always go to plan.
The year 6’s have been enthusiastically building their greenhouses in preparation for conducting their scientific investigations. A huge thank you must go to the Harch family for donating the timber and to Mr Harch for pre-cutting all the lengths for us. Thank you also to Mr Byrnes for making an extra woodwork bench to give us some additional workspace.
Laura
Laura Byrnes
Italian
The students are continuing to practise simple greetings and introductions. Last week we learnt the names of family members and told our friends how many people we have in our family, e.g “Ci sono quattro persone nella mia famiglia”. This week we began asking each other how we are, e.g. “Come stai?” “Sto bene, grazie”.
Signora Simmons
Art
Prep: Last week the Preps made an x-ray picture of themselves, by collaging cotton buds onto a black background. This week they have created a vase picture using the concept of symmetry and printed flowers with sponges and fingers.
Years 1 to 3: The students in years 1 to 3 have all completed their portrait of St. Mary Mackillop. Each year level presented St Mary Mackillop in a different way, but all included images and symbols significant to St. Mary MacKillop. This week all year levels have begun work on a top secret Father’s day project.
Mrs Simmons
Reading Inspiration…
Sue DeGennaro Visit
One Wednesday August 2nd the students in Year 3 and Year 4 had a virtual author visit with Sue DeGennaro. Sue shared with us her illustrator, author journey and shared some incredible drawing tips. She reminded us that great picture stories have illustrations that tell us more about the story, the parts that we do not need to write with words.
We sincerely thank the Step into Stories Team, TCSO Writing Improvement Strategy Team and Mark Wilson and Sue DeGennaro for helping the students at Lourdes develop their understanding of the importance of the Reading – Writing connection.
Students Need School Libraries Day
When: 24th August 2022
Why: The purpose of Australian School Library Day is to celebrate and highlight the glorious variety of things that your school library offers – from reading advice, well-chosen books, research skills, google research guide and TECH support.
Date Claimer: Book Week
What: DRESS UP as your favourite book character or author
When: Thursday 25th August 2022
Theme: Dreaming with eyes open
Students are encouraged to come dressed up as a book character or author. It was lovely to check in with students this week about their chosen books and costume ideas.
Date Claimer: Readers Cup
When: Thursday 25th August 2022
What: Students will books with their classes over the next few weeks. They will then answer a range of questions about all aspects of the text in small groups. Winning group members will WIN a special book pack!
Book Week Lunchtime Activities
The year as part of Book Week the Library will be offering a range of lunch time activities. Please remind your child/ren to pop over and join in the FUN!
Year 3 Research Lessons
The Year 3 classes have been working with Mrs Leathart to learn about how the Library Webpage can help them locate information for a specific purpose. They have learnt how to locate a book on the catalogue, use Click View and Britannica and go to kid friendly search engines like Kiddle and Fact Monster.
PREP Tech Lessons
In PREP we have been looking at the Home Row keys and using a keyboard.
Library WebApp
Please be sure to bookmark the Lourdes Library WebApp to access a range of resources for reading and learning.
IntegratedSTEM
Security Systems program is well underway. Students have been busily learning about building circuits and will apply this knowledge to their security system design over the coming weeks.
Book Club
Issue 5 orders have arrived, been unpacked and have been handed out. All orders are to be placed via LOOP. See instructions below. Thank you for your continued support of Book Club at Lourdes.
Enjoy your books.
Danielle & Gael
Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte
Upcoming Dates
Week |
Date |
Event |
Venue |
Who |
7 |
24/08/22 |
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 (TBC) |
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.
Congratulations to the following students on their selection into the West Zone Track & Field Team
Grade 4: Billy, Nate, Slater and Nate.
Grade 5: Mikayla, Arohamae, Olivia, Nate and Kaylee.
Grade 6; Madison, Jack, Leila, Maddox, Hayden, Jack, Evangeline.
All the best for the DD carnival.
Prep – Grade 6 Swimming Lessons – Week 9
Prep to Grade 6 Swimming Lessons forms will be emailed home next week. Please keep an eye out for this email and respond to it as soon as you can. It takes a large amount of time to collate all the data from these forms, and your prompt completion greatly assists with this process.
Please see below for the general swimming details:
Who: |
Prep - 6 Students |
When: |
Week 9, Term 3 - – 5th – 9th September 2022 |
Where: |
Glennie Aquatic Centre |
Travel: |
Bus to and from venue |
Cost: |
$44.00 – This will be charged to your school fees. |
What to bring: |
Togs (girls – 1-piece swimmers), Towel, Goggles & Thongs or sandals. A bathing cap will be provided. Students are discouraged from wearing rash/sun shirts. These restrict the swimmer’s movement and weigh them down in the water. |
What to wear: |
Students are to wear their sports uniform each day this week, with their normal joggers. They will change into their sandals or thongs at school. |
Lesson Times
9:00 |
9:30 |
10:00 |
10:30 |
11:00 |
11:30 |
12:00 |
12:30 |
1:00 |
1:30 |
Grade 6 |
Grade 5 |
Grade 4 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 2 |
BREAK |
1B |
1M |
Prep H |
Prep W |
Just as with any other classes, swimming is part of the curriculum and children are expected to participate unless a note of explanation is provided. Participation in this program is highly recommended, for the students in grades 5 & 6, as many of the activities on camp are water-based.
A massive thank you to the P & F for their generous donation, helping to keep swimming lessons affordable for all.
Parents are welcome to attend the lessons at Glennie. However, we would like to ask that all parents refrain from interacting with their children during lessons. It is important that the children are focused on their instructor and what they need to do in the pool. We appreciate your support with this.
Years 5 & 6 Friday Afternoon Interschool Sport - 19th August
A big 'Thankyou' this week for the extremely generous donation of beautiful veggie seedlings from Pohlman's Nursery. Pohlman's donate 2 trays of seedlings to schools around Toowoomba twice a year, so that kids can learn how rewarding it can be to grow your own food. They learn too, how much tastier food is straight from the garden. The kids were very excited to get planting.
A big thankyou also to Mrs Sarah O'Neil, for her gifting of a worm farm to the Garden Club. We can't wait to get it up and running.
Jo