Dear Parents & Carers

During the first few years of my time here at Lourdes, we would receive feedback around spending too much time organising and participating in sporting pursuits at the expense of academic endeavour. Whilst agreeing that we did and still do allocate a substantial amount of time for physical activity, I would strongly argue it has never been detrimental to our teaching and learning focus. Our school wide academic performance over many years is testament to our ability to provide a balanced approach to the opportunities we offer.

There is of course ample research that indicates that regular physical & sporting activity builds confidence, increases neuron activity in the brain and is beneficial to personal wellbeing. As a result, there is a clear link to growth in academic performance.

The reason I am writing about this is not because I have received further complaints about the amount of physical activity we provide. Quite the opposite, as it has been most rewarding to receive many affirmations from parents about the level of extra-curricula activities that are on offer as well as the level of participation from students…so good to see. I am proud of the fact that such endeavours are supported by parents and we have staff who are more than willing to give up some of their valuable time to supervise or train the students.

The reason for my article this week is in response to an obvious decline in children’s participation in sport. This was apparent at the recent zone swimming carnival, where OLOL were a standout in the pool and the number of kids in the squad compared to other schools. I however have noticed a decline overall in the number of kids taking up swimming as a sport or part of a fitness regime, especially our boys. I have also noticed a small decline in the number of kids involved in club sports. There may be several reasons for this…pressure on household budgets, time poor families, obsession with digital entertainment, lack of role models, “leave it to the school to do” type of thinking and maybe some parents are reluctant to push their kids a little harder to commit to a team sport or fitness activity.

Whatever the reason, I feel it is time to address this potentially damaging downturn in physical activity. The benefits to a child’s physical and mental health as well as their cognitive development far outweigh the blockers that stand in the way of getting kids involved in sport.

As I said before, I am proud that Lourdes continues to offer compulsory and optional sporting and fitness activities at little to no cost to families. I do urge all families however, to give serious consideration to getting your children involved in at least one club or individual sport outside of school. It will be a very worthwhile investment in your children’s overall development.

Cross Country Training

One particular fitness activity we have on offer for our 9-12yrs old students is cross country training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. Newtown Park. These sessions are not just for those interested in cross country running but a great way to improve fitness and train with your mates. It has been great to see the increase in numbers in attendance. Spread the word as it would be great to see even more show up for a run at the park on these mornings. A reminder that our annual cross country carnival will be held on Monday 27^th March at Newtown Park.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

Families will be able to lodge preferred interview time via the parent portal from Monday 6^th March.  These interviews are most important and are designed to provide parents with the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of your child’s progress and wellbeing at school. They are also a great avenue for dialogue around achievements, areas which require some further improvement and ways parents can assist. Each teacher is required to have an interview sheet which parents are required to sign as record of the discussion. I thank you in advance for your presence at these interviews.

Prep 2024

It is that time of year again where we urgently request for any existing families who may have a child eligible for Prep in 2024 to ensure an enrolment application has been submitted. Children who are born between 1/07/2018 to 30/06/2019 are eligible to enter next year’s Prep program. It is vitally important that we have secured a place for children of existing families prior to offering places to new families.

Formal enrolment interviews are not conducted for existing families unless requested by the parents.

I would highly recommend that you regularly discuss your child’s progress with your Kindy teacher. Delayed entry for children who are not developmentally ready for formal schooling is the best strategy by far in ensuring your child is given every opportunity to experience a positive and enjoyable start to formal schooling. Children of existing families are guaranteed a prep position for the following year if delayed entry is recommended by Kindergarten teachers or other specialists.

School Fees

Families should have received their first school fee invoices for the year about two weeks ago. Please double check your emails and if you have not received one, contact the office asap. We have several options for families to pay these fees. Please do not hesitate to contact the office to arrange internet banking, direct debit, repayment plans etc. It is vital that all families meet their financial commitment to the school. Not only is regular payment of fees a condition of enrolment, but school fees are also a major source of income. Consequently, our ability to continue to provide the best possible staffing levels and student resources relies heavily on your timely payment of school fees and levies.

Why do school fees exist?

They exist because Catholic schools, only receive 74% (Federal 58.4%; State Gov 15.6%) of the total cost associated with per student funding compared to 96.8% (76.3% State Gov; 20.5% Fed Gov) which Ed. Qld schools receive. School fees and levies exist to bridge the government funding shortfall.

As you can see from the above figures, Ed. Qld schools’ main source of funding is received from the State Government while the majority of funding for Catholic Schools is sourced from the Federal Government.

Where do school fees & levies go?

As mentioned before, the fees and levies you pay are a major source of income and are directed towards additional teacher and support staff wages, classroom resourcing, capital projects, IT upgrades, building & grounds maintenance, library and curriculum resourcing and of course general operating expenses such as insurance, rates, electricity etc. 

Families also need to keep in mind that the school has always strived to keep fees and levies to an absolute minimum. School fee amounts are reviewed at the end of each year and any necessary increases are discussed and agreed upon by the School Advisory Council. When you consider the resourcing levels and amount of free of charge opportunities available for students here at OLOL, the level of fees is extremely reasonable. Of course, we do understand that from time to time, families fall on financial hardship. Our fees and levies are not designed to be a burden on any family. All we ask is that you contact the office to make an appointment to come in and discuss alternative payment options or concessions.

Thank you for reading and your continued support.

Chris

Mr Chris Golightly
Principal

Welcome to Week 6! At this time of the term, students have started to settle into the routines of their new teacher and the expectations that come with moving up a year level. Often at the beginning of the year, we hear about the struggles of some students and their parents adjusting to the increased expectations and the pressures that challenge learners and their mindsets.

Luckily at Lourdes, we use many strategies to help students adjust. We find that each student rises to the occasion and will meet the high expectations. This may mean that there are scaffolds or reminders from teachers, support staff, and/ or the leadership team to support students reach their potential and this is okay. Together we make a difference to the young hearts and minds that are in our care each day.

This week, I will share information on the second trait of our Teaching & Learning motto, ‘Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think as both a Learner and Global Citizen.’

Act as a Learner

At Lourdes, we encourage students to actively participate in the learning. This means that students engage in the learning, are willing to have-a-go, and will persist to get out of the Learning Pit when they are challenged. Teachers model this by claiming they themselves are learners and are often in the Learning Pit too. By actively setting learning goals and self-assessing where they are at with their learning, students act as a learner. They take responsibility for their learning and actively seek feedback. Consequently, teachers provide the skills and opportunities for students to consistently act as a learner.

Act as a Global Citizen

In today’s complex and ever-changing world there are values, skills and attitudes that we need to instil in our students so they are successful in life and can actively participate in society. This means students need to learn to adapt to new situations, take responsibility for their own actions, collaborate with others, respect and value diversity, and act upon injustice. Importantly, we want our students to see themselves as a person who can contribute to a more peaceful, tolerant, just and sustainable world, just as Jesus encouraged all people to be.

Australian Curriculum Version 9

You may have heard a new version of the Australian curriculum has been released. More information about the changes in the curriculum can be found here. In Term 4 last year, our teachers began mapping the new curriculum across the 2023 school year and have made interesting connections across all learning areas to create engaging units of work for our learners. Our teachers have embraced the new curriculum and are working to ensure the teaching and assessment are aligned with the new curriculum achievement standards and content descriptions. For more information, please ask me or your child’s teacher at the upcoming parent teacher interviews.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next Monday 6th March, parents will be able to book a time to meet with their child’s teacher via the Sentral Parent Portal app. If you have not yet downloaded this app, please do so and check your emails for your Family Access Key.

If you need help logging in to the portal, please email lourdes@twb.catholic.edu.au or call the school to speak with Carla. Click here for more information about the Sentral Parent Portal. More details about how to book a Parent Teacher Interview will be sent over the coming days.

NAPLAN

A reminder that NAPLAN testing for our Year 3 and 5 students will take place on the 15- 17 March in Week 8. There will be an opportunity to do catch-up tests in Week 9, however Year 3 Writing test must be completed by Monday 20 March. Please refer to the infographic for more details about test durations.

NAPLAN 2023 test window infographic

Please note there are changes to NAPLAN reporting this year. There are new proficiency standards with four levels of achievement which will replace the 10-band structure seen in previous reports of student results. This means that results from 2008-2022 will not be able to be compared to the 2023 results. The four levels of achievement are: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs Additional Support.

Last week our Year 3 and 5 students participated in a practice test, and all went very well. Here are some good tips for keeping NAPLAN in perspective. It is a snapshot in time.

1. NAPLAN is about making sure your child is on track in the important areas of literacy and numeracy
2. NAPLAN helps you see your child’s growth and achievements
3. NAPLAN isn’t high stakes testing and it amounts to less that 16 hours over 7 years of schooling.

Thanks for reading

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of any person who makes them feel unsafe.  We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs.  Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability, and knowledge in the area of student protection.  Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. The SSPCs are published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes.  In everything we do at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes.   Our current SSPC team is: Chris Golightly, Sarah Jackman, Angela Gilbert, Janice Moore.

We have had a busy time over the last two weeks!  

Thursday, 2 weeks ago, our Year 6 leaders were formally presented with their Leadership Badges and Year 6 tshirts at a special assembly, followed by afternoon tea in our new staff room. We were so lucky to have Past students from our 2017 OLOL Year 6 cohort, who are all now leaders, at their respective High schools and Colleges. It was so lovely to reconnect with these beautiful ladies and gentlemen who are a credit to their families and schools. They were truly inspirational for our Year 6 leaders. 

On Sunday 19^th February our newly inducted School Captains – Olivia and Michael represented OLOL at the Caritas Launch at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The people from Caritas are so appreciative of the good work we do in our schools. They acknowledged our promotion of the message and awareness of helping others in our world who need support. Caritas provides opportunities and infrastucture for these people to have clean water, roofs over their heads and the right to receive an education.

Last Tuesday we celebrated Shrove Tuesday by having a Pancake morning and it was a fabulous well attended morning. A big thank you to the families who donated pancake mix, syrup, plates and serviettes so we could run our pancake morning, also thank you to our Year 6 leaders and OLOL staff who ably cooked and sold pancakes for all who came along – all money raised starts our 2023 Caritas Lenten donation. Please enjoy the photos we took of our morning. 

Last Wednesday we had our Ash Wednesday prayer in the hall. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. We were reminded that Lent is a time of change,  and we can be the change to make our world a better place by the little kind acts we do for others.

It would be great if families could spare 50c each Friday for Lent for “50c Friday”.  It would be wonderful if we can send a sizable donation to help the Caritas organisation so they can continue helping others in need. Each class has a Caritas collection box on their prayer table.  

Last Sunday the families involved with Confirmation and First Eucharist Preparation for 2023, gathered for their first Preparation Workshop. The children and their parents began working through their preparation booklets.  The next Preparation Workshop is on Sunday 26^th March at 10:30 am.  If you have any questions or queries, please call the Parish office on 07 46341453 or call in between 9:00am -1:00pm weekdays. The Parish can be emailed using olol.parish@bigpond.com

St Patrick’s Green Coloured Clothes Day is on Friday 17^th March – remember to wear your wackiest sun safe green outfit and bring a Gold coin donation. We will be supporting Caritas and St Vincent De Paul on this day. 

There will be no assembly in Week 9 due to it being swimming week (Years 4-6).

It’s that time of year again – take that snapshot of Mum / Grandma with her children /grandchildren ready for our Mothers Day Photostory during our Mothers Day Mass. I need one pic per family.

Our OLOL Mothers Day Mass is on Friday 12^th May at 10 am. Mothers Day Photos will need to be in no later than Friday 5^th May. Please email your pic to Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au

Dates for your Diary 

Term 1

Friday 17^th March – St Patrick’s Day – wear your sun safe green clothes – Gold coin donation for Caritas and St Vincent De Paul

Sunday 26^th March – 2^nd Confirmation First Eucharist Preparation Workshop 10:30 am OLOL Church

Thursday 30^th March – Holy Week Assembly 11 am – OLOL School Hall

Term 2

Wednesday 19^th April – Resurrection Reflection 2 pm  - OLOL  School Hall

Sunday 23^rd April – 3^rd Confirmation First Eucharist Preparation Workshop 10:30 am

Monday 24^th April – OLOL Anzac Day Ceremony 2 pm – OLOL School Hall

Friday 12^th May – Mothers Day Mass and Morning Tea  10 am  - OLOL School Hall

Have a great week!

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)

Prep

We have begun the season of Lent which is our preparation for Easter. Children heard the story ‘Have you filled a bucket?’ and are asked throughout Lent to try and be more aware of others and how they can lend a helping hand.

To celebrate the letter Pp the children are invited to wear their pyjamas to school this Friday and enjoy some pizza and popcorn for lunch.

Letter of the week, sight words and maths concepts need to be revised each week - this will ensure the information goes from our short-term memory to our long term memory without falling out our ear!

Children need their hat, water bottle and satchel every day please.

This week we will have a visit from a local pet shop owner who will bring in a few different pets to show the children. This is part of our science unit looking at the different features of animals. Old Mac Donald’s Farm will visit later on in the term.

Parent teacher interviews will be held on Saturday, 25^th March - please see us if that day doesn’t suit and we can work out an alternative time.

Till next time ...

Melita, Liz and Loretta

Year 1

Week 6 already! The term is moving along swiftly, and our year one students are working towards being great Lourdes Learners.

In English, we have started reading the text, Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan. In this unit of work, the students will be discussing the characters, setting and the plot, building an understanding of fiction and its structure. In the text, Marcia Vaughan uses amazing adjectives and unusual verbs. Year one students will be looking for those words in the text as they listen to the story. The students will be encouraged to write like Marcia Vaughan.

In Maths, we are investigating two-digit numbers and through exploration the students are learning that these numbers are made up of tens and ones.

Last week, the students were introduced to the Zones of Regulation program. The program helps children understand their emotions and feelings and provides a name (zone) to help them understand that emotion. The year ones will be helped to identify which zone they are in and will be given strategies and tools to help them move into the ‘green’ zone which is the zone where learning takes place. They have learnt that it is okay to be in any of the zones, but it is the green zone that they need to be in for learning.

We have had some children mentioning that they are still hungry after lunch. Each of the classrooms has extra snacks for the children if they are still hungry, however could you please check in with your child and pack more food as needed.

Thanks for reading.

Jen, Dennielle and Laura

Year 2

Is it really Week 6? Wow times flies when you’re having fun and in Year 2, we sure are doing just that!

This week brings new learning in Maths, with our focus moving to the calendar, seasons and mapping.

In English, we will commence a new unit where at the end, students will be required to write a literary retell. Students will listen to stories written by Australian author Margaret Wild - Old Pig, Fox and Lucy Goosey. Together, we will unpack each text, discussing the characters and their feelings, the settings and the beginning, middle and end. We will discuss how the images and words used in these texts add to the meaning within the text and serve a purpose to bring each story alive, so the reader is entertained. We will highlight and discuss how Margaret Wild has used WOW words and noun groups in her writing. Hopefully students will be inspired to use more of these in their own writing.

On Friday 17^th March, we have a St Patrick’s Day-themed free dress day. Please bring in a gold coin donation for Caritas on this day.

Have a great week!

Sarah, Ange B and Ange G

Year 3

The interest and engagement shown by children in all subject areas has been inspiring to see! We are enjoying the in depth study of content as we continue in our units.

Our Mathematics focus now is time (analogue and digital). You can support your child by asking simple questions about time and their knowledge of clocks. In HASS, students’ general knowledge of Australia is improving daily. Quiz your children on the capitals, states and icons of Australia and prepare to be amazed! Students are continuing to explore different emotional responses and strategies to support them in regulating back to the Green Zone in Health.

We are regularly keeping an eye out for students’ writing to add to the Lourdes Writers’ Display wall outside the Hall. We are very proud of the effort students are putting in to engage the reader in their writing. Students are becoming more confident in their knowledge of sentence variety, structure, and vocabulary development.

Our Year 3 Cohort Meetings have been very successful in celebrating students’ fantastic attitude towards learning and Global Citizen behaviours both inside and outside of the classroom. It has quickly become the highlight of our week.

Have a great weekend and please email through any questions.

Demi, Toni and Garry

Year 4

Welcome to Week 6!  We hope that everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather. It is hard to believe that we are already in the second half of this Term. 

We are working hard to be focused Lourdes Learners, striving to achieve our personal goals. Mr Golightly has given us a few reminders about behaviour expectations so any reinforcing of  this at home would help .

Thank you to all students that have been working hard on their homework.  We would like to encourage all students to learn their spelling and tables every night.  We are focusing on tables and their related division facts that were taught in Year 3.  It is expected that students should be familiar with these answers and able to recall them quickly – 2, 3, 5, 10 times tables.  If anyone doesn’t confidently know these number facts, these should be being continually learnt at home.  

A reminder that Cross Country training happens at 7.30am at Newtown Park on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. What a great way to start the day! Well done to those who have started training at home as well.

Many thanks to all those families that donated for our Shrove Tuesday pancake morning.  It looked like a wonderful time was had by all.  We all enjoyed the beautiful Ash Wednesday Liturgy to kickstart Lent. Thanks to Mrs Moore for organising another prayerful celebration!  During Lent, as Global Citizens we can take the time to donate money to help other people throughout the world that are in need. We would encourage students to donate  a coin or two each week to the Caritas Mission box that are in our classrooms.

This week 4V are leading the prayer for assembly and next week 4T will be presenting and all are welcome at 2.00pm.

There is a free dress day for St Patrick’s Day in Week 8 on the 17^th of March, so dig out those green or orange clothes to celebrate Paddy’s Day and don’t forget the gold coin donation.

Suzanne, Aleisha, Jessica and Danielle

Year 5

We have enthusiastically welcomed Week 6 of term, with the students continuing to put their best efforts into their work. In Maths, the students are working hard on double-digit multiplication problems - keep practising as much as possible and have someone at home think of numbers to multiply. Remember, practice makes permanent! In English, the students are working on “bumping up” their descriptive writing by using MOPS (metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, and simile).     

Buddies:

The Year 5s meet up with their Prep buddies each Friday before morning tea. This gives the Year 5s an opportunity to help their Prep buddies read books, draw, and practise their letter and number writing. It’s a highlight of the week for both Year 5 and Prep, and it is wonderful to see Year 5 setting such a great example. 

Friday Sport:

The students enjoy attending the different venues and actively participating in their chosen sports.  The students have shown terrific sportsmanship by helping one another and offering encouragement and recognition to competitors from other participating schools.

Science:

The students worked in groups and carried out an experiment to determine the effects of water erosion on created landscapes. Students determined the materials required for the experiment, planned out the method to follow, and made predictions of what they expected to occur during the experiment. The experiments were a success, and the students witnessed erosion, transportation and deposition occurring in front of their eyes. After the experiment, students returned to the classroom to record their observations.

NAPLAN:

NAPLAN will take place on 15^th March (Week 8 of term). The students completed a practise test last Friday. We will continue to integrate practise activities into our learning leading up to the NAPLAN test date.

Homework:

A reminder that homework is issued on Tuesdays and is due the following Tuesday. Homework is beneficial as it gives the students more opportunities to consolidate their learning. Students are currently required to complete the following allocated tasks: 1 Reading Eggspress task, 1 or 2 Maths Online tasks, 1 Maths Online revision task and spelling words practise. It is also expected that students read quality texts (fiction/non-fiction) for at least 20 minutes, 5 times per week. It can sometimes be hard to find books students are interested in but keep persisting. There is something out there for everyone.

We understand that life is busy! To assist with homework commitments, please be reminded that the Year 5 classrooms are open from 8:00am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for students to come in and work on their homework.

Library Borrowing:

All Year 5 classes borrow from our library each Thursday. Students are asked to borrow at least one novel weekly. A reminder about reading: You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book. – Dr. Seuss.

Parent-Teacher Interviews:

We will be holding parent teacher interviews in Weeks 9 and 10 of term. Further details will be provided regarding the scheduling of meetings.  

A reminder of Important Dates for the remainder of Term 1 

• 17^th March – St. Patricks Day (free dress & gold coin donation) 
• 20^th to 24^th March – Swimming week (sport uniform worn all week)
• 27^th March – Cross Country Carnival
• 30^th – Last Day of Term 1

Thank you for reading,  

Jess, Emily and Amy

Year 6

We’re over halfway through Term One and we’ve achieved so much already. Our leadership induction assembly was a wonderful display of what great leaders we have for 2023! Our students were as proud as punch to receive their leadership shirts and badges and to be officially inducted as our school leaders. Afternoon tea after our assembly, with Yr. 6 families, was a hit too!

Congratulations to our school captains, Michael and Olivia, who represented our school at the official launch of Caritas at St Patrick’s Cathedral last Sunday. Thanks to Mrs Moore too, who accompanied our leaders.

Finally, our Yr. 6 leaders did a splendid job of assisting with the Shrove Tuesday Pancake morning last Tuesday – remarkably busy leaders!

Friday sport was another eagerly anticipated event for our Yr. 6 cohort over the last fortnight. Tennis has proven to be a big hit and our AFL boys get better and better with each game. From time to time some of our Friday sport games may not go ahead due to teams forfeiting or just not showing up. It is the responsibility of the school to notify the other school if this is going to occur. On occasion this will not always happen, and we will be left scratching our head wondering where our opponents are? When this happens, teachers are unaware and will have to be flexible and play a game amongst our own teams.

Lourdes Learners meetings: We gather as a cohort each Friday morning to discuss how students are progressing as Lourdes Learners. During our Lourdes Learners meetings, we debrief on how the week has progressed, check in on how students are feeling about their learning and give feedback on how we think students, as a cohort, are progressing. We are absolutely blown away by how enthusiastic students are and how responsible they are for their learning at present.

Students have been reminded that if they’re absent, it is their responsibility to catch up on missed learning. Accessing work on Canvas (via Teams) is encouraged and then a check in with other students and class teachers upon return to school for work that can’t be posted online. Lourdes Learners are called to communicate, act, look, listen, and think and in Year Six, we are stretched, not stressed. “The best work comes in the moments when we’re challenged. Being challenged is an opportunity for growth.”

Swimming Success:  Congratulations to Skye, Olivia and Charlotte who were recently selected in the West Zone School Sport Swimming Team. These girls will compete at the Darling Downs Trials in Gatton on 28^th February. We wish them well.

Congrats also to Blake, Charlotte (busy girl!) and Izzy who were selected in the West Zone School Sport Touch Football teams. Good luck at the Darling Downs School Sport trials.

Cross Country Training: Cross Country training began this week at Newtown Park. Training will be available Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at Newtown Park. Parents are requested to walk their child/ren to the middle of the park to the staff member providing training on that day.

Religion PowerPoint: Students will begin presenting their Religion PowerPoint presentations on a significant Australian catholic with their partners this Thursday 2^nd March. All work on this assessment has been completed in class.

Library Borrowing: A reminder that all classes borrow from our library each Thursday. Students are asked to borrow at least one non-fiction and one fiction book weekly.

Parent Teacher Interviews: We will be holding parent teacher interviews in Week 9 and 10 of Term One.

Important Dates:

28 Feb – DD Swimming

2 March – Assembly

On the Assessment Calendar this fortnight:

RE PowerPoints – Thursday March 2

RE Storyboard – Wednesday March 8

Kylie, Shauna and Tim

Visual Arts

Prep

The Preps have completed several art projects based on their letter of the week. Last week for the letter I, the students drew an invisible picture of an insect and then revealed it by painting over with coloured water. This week we will draw a penguin for the letter p, using pastels and water colours.

Year 1

The year 1’s have been doing a book study in class on “Tom Tom”, a story about an Aboriginal boy and where he lives. Using this book as inspiration in art they are working on a dot painting of the Aboriginal water symbol to represent Tom Tom’s favourite place, Lemonade Springs. At the same time, they have begun a pastel and water colour painting of Lemonade Springs, comparing the different styles of art.

Year 2

The Year 2’s have completed a pop art inspired Love picture to  represent our Love of Learning at Lourdes. They have now begun a watercolour painting of our world, showing symbols for each day from the Creation Story.

Year 5

The year 5’s began the term with a decorative interpretation of their name, using zentangles, a form of artistic meditation to create patterns with a black pen. They have now begun work on an abstract painting a cow. The students will use bright acrylic paints to represent their cow.

Year 6

The year 6’s have completed their reverse acetate portrait. This was a portrait that was created by tracing a photo onto a plastic sheet and then painting the reverse side. They created the background using mono printing techniques on a silicone plate. This week they will begin work on a painting a sunset using acrylic paints.

Loretta Simmons

Italian

Over the last few weeks, the year 5 and 6’s have revised greetings and farewells, practised colours, numbers and days of the week.  Italian is a very phonetic language, which means learning the correct pronunciation of the consonants and vowels is vital in order to read new words correctly. Every lesson we chant the sounds that are made by the Italian alphabet to assist with their ability to sound out words.  This week students will be create a story for their prep and year 1 buddies, that will name different animals and colours.

Signora Simmons

Choir 2023

Choir is on Mondays at first break with Mrs. Rosier in the church (Term 1). Anyone in Years 3 - 6 are most welcome to join. We are looking forward to performing this year at various events on and off school campus. If you are interested, please come along! 

Any questions, please let me know.

Ebony Rosier

Ebony.Rosier@twb.catholic.edu.au

Library Website - ACCESSIT

Lourdes Library - AccessIt  

Sunshine Online

Look for extra reading books each week? Why not give Sunshine Online a go! Keep these details handy at home or simply sign in now and SAVE that password. ?  https://library.sunshineonline.com.au/login/student  Username: lourdes2 Password: lourdes123

Typing Tournament

Typing is an essential LIFE SKILL. The following statement, from page 84 of the 2020 NAPLAN Review Final Report states that “Those students in Years 5, 7 and 9 who have prior opportunities to develop typing fluency and word processing skills by regularly using a keyboard are better placed to produce sustained writing online.” This is one of the reasons why we encourage the use of Typing Tournament at Lourdes. TT is self-paced, sequential program that tutors children in correct touch typing techniques. Why not add 30 minutes a week at home? This is a paid subscription and students will need logon details. Contact their class teacher or Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au if there are any password issues. A link for Typing Tournament can be found at: Lourdes Library - AccessIt 

Why is the library a great place to be?

We have NEW BOOKS arriving ALL the time! Please check the green shelves in the library for the latest and greatest arrivals or search the Library @ Library & Information Service (accessit.online)

Senior Fiction Permission for Year 5 and 6 borrowers

Thank you to those families who used the portal to grant permission for Senior Fiction. The portal is now closed and there are still a few outstanding replies. Any student who had no reply registered in the portal has now been marked as NO PERMISSION. If you wish to have this amended, you must do so in writing to Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Chess Lessons

Chess lessons are now FULL for Term 1. If you have any questions about Chess please see Mrs Leathart or email: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Book Club

Issue 1 orders have been delivered – thank you for your support! Issue 2 brochures should be in bags this week. For any issues with Book Club please contact Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au.  To order Book Club please download the LOOP App. Instructions below. We are unable to accept CASH orders for Book Club. All orders must be placed using the online LOOP Platform.

Thank-you and keep reading.

Enjoy your books – Mrs Monte and Mrs Leathart.

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

Upcoming Dates

• Please note the updated date for DD swimming. It was incorrectly recorded in the school calendar.

Cross Country Training – Updated Days/Dates

The Our Lady of Lourdes Cross Country Carnival will be held on Monday 27^th of March at Newtown Park.  In preparation for this event, we will be running a cross country training program, as below:

• PLEASE NOTE – STUDENTS ARE TO BE DROPPED OFF AT THE PARK AT 7:30AM.
• PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU WALK YOUR CHILDREN TO THE MEETING PLACE AND CHECK THEM IN WITH THE STAFF MEMBER PRESENT.
• FOLLOWING TRAINING WE WILL WALK BACK TO SCHOOL AS A GROUP.
• IMPORTANT: As part of the risk assessment process for Cross Country Running, all students that run the competitive track must be of sound fitness. ALL STUDENTS wishing to run the competitive track must also have a SIGNED CONSENT form. See below for further details.

OLOL Cross Country Carnival - Monday 27th March 2023 – 8:30-1:00pm – Newtown Park

Prep- Grade 2 Fun Run

• Approximate run time 9:00 – 10:00am
• Students will walk to Newtown Park in Class Groups.
• Prep, Grade 1 and 2 students will run an extended lap of the oval (approximately 600m).
• The following ribbons and house points will be presented to students in Prep – Grade 2:

• Race Order: Grade 2 boys, Grade 2 Girls, Grade 1 Boys, Grade 1 Girls, Prep Boys & Prep Girls.
• After these races, the P-2 students will return to school.

Grade 3-6 Competitive Cross-Country Event

• Approximate starting time – 10:00am
• Students will walk to Newtown Park in class groups.
• Following the P-2 Fun Run, Grade 3-6 students will participate in a competitive cross-country race.
• Students will need to nominate for this event. Only students that have completed the consent form will be allowed to run in the competitive event for their age group. Please click on the link below to give your consent.

CLICK HERE TO GIVE YOUR CONSENT FOR THE 2023 COMPETITIVE CROSS COUNTRY EVENT

These times are approximate and subject to change. 

The following ribbons/medallions and house/individual points will be presented to students in 9-12 years:

• As with Athletics and swimming, all students in grade 3 who are born in 2015 (8 years), have attended training and wish to run the competitive event, will participate in the 2014/ 9 year’s category. However, as they are not of appropriate age, they will not be eligible for age championship points, nor will they be eligible to continue to the West Zone Carnival. These students will be awarded a place ribbon and 4 participation points, regardless of finishing place. Please see me if you require further clarification on this.
• The first 6 place getters, in the 10/11/12 Years age categories, will be offered the opportunity to represent the school at the West Zone Cross Country Carnival. There are qualification times in place for this event which students must run to be eligible.  These times will be adhered to regardless of whether students finished in the top 6 at our school carnival. 

9-year-olds are not eligible to compete at West Zone.

• The course will be marked with markers and marshals will be stationed around the course.
• After the races, we will have presentations and return to school by 1:00pm. This is subject to change.

Grade 3-6 Fun Run

• This event is open to ALL grade 3-6 students, regardless of whether they have already run the Competitive Cross-Country Race.
• The event will be 1 lap around the competitive cross-country course.
• All students will be encouraged to at least walk the track.
• All students who participate will receive one (1) point for their house.

In the Morning before coming to School

• Please apply sunscreen before coming to school and remind the children to apply more throughout the morning.
• Students are also required to bring their morning tea and lunch with them. Depending on time, we will eat morning tea and possibly lunch at the park. 
• It is crucial that the children drink lots of water, so please make sure they have a water bottle.
• PUFFERS and EPI-PENS – please make sure your child has their own with them if required.
• Please make sure students have been to the toilet prior to arriving at school. While there are toilets available at the park, we would rather avoid using them where possible.
• Students will walk to Newtown Park in Class Groups.

Spectators

Spectators are welcome to attend.

Volunteers

If you are available to help set up in the morning, we will be down at the park from 7:30am.  Grade 6 students are also asked to arrive at 7:30am to assist with setting up.

Term 1 Swimming Lessons – Grade 4-6

Lesson Times:

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.

We respectfully ask parents and other spectators to refrain from attending swimming 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.

 It is a mandatory requirement that permission be sought from parents and guardians prior to the commencement of lessons. Please click on the link below to give your consent:

CLICK HERE TO GIVE YOUR CONSENT FOR GRADES 4-6 SWIMMING LESSONS

Please complete a separate form for each child.

PLEASE RESPOND BY FRIDAY 10th MARCH 2023

Calendar Update

Please make note of the following changes to this year’s sporting calendar:

• Darling Downs 10-12 Years Regional Swimming Trials:

Tuesday 28^th February 2023 – Gatton Aquatic Centre.

• Darling Downs 10-12 years Regional Track & Field Trials:

Monday 14^th August (1500m after school at Glennie) and Tuesday 15^th August (Full day at Harristown SHS).

Representative 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 2013, 2012 or 2011. 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 2023.  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 form.

Here is the LINK to nominate a student. Please submit a new response for each individual child.

Please see below for upcoming trial dates in Term 1, 2023. Please ensure that you confirm these details when the trial notice is released.

Congratulations to the following students on their selection

Emotional Support Dog

For those that are unaware, I am currently engaged in an ongoing PTSD program, following an accident nearly 2 years ago, when my hand was amputated under my ride-on lawnmower. At the suggestion of my psychologist, I have continued to benefit from the companionship of an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), Peppa. Unlike Service and Assistance Dogs, Peppa is not granted unconditional entry to all venues, but I have found that most people are very accepting. To prove her classification and my need, I am required to carry a letter from my psychologist stating this.  She also wears an ESA jacket, which alerts people from the public that she is working.  She is currently undergoing training to help her to best support me. 

Last year, I spoke to all the classes about why I have her at school and what the expectations are. I asked the children not to interact with Peppa during lessons. I am more than happy for them to come and visit during breaks or to give her a little pat at the end of a lesson, but I do not want her to be a distraction to what they are doing. So far, I have not had any issues with Peppa, or the children. I have been so proud of the way they have accepted her and not made a big deal about it.  I have gone over the ways to stay safe around dogs, and briefly touched on dog body language. I have also spoken to the students about what to do if they chance upon an interaction with a dog. Ie. If Peppa was to run out onto the tennis court during a PE lesson. As well as this, all staff have been given information to share with their classes. 

Please contact me if you would like more information.

Rachel

Rachel Wigan

Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au

AFL Clinics

Jana Anderson, the Development Coordinator for AFL in the Darling Downs ran clinics at OLOL on Monday 13^th - Wednesday 15^th February for the Year 1 -6 students to expose students to the sport of AFL. All students thoroughly enjoyed the drills and games and our school felt extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to learn from professional coaches of AFL. Thank you to Ryan, Lara and Mia for giving your time and allowing our school to be a part of such a wonderful experience. I’m sure several children will be enthusiastically waiting for the Auskick programs to start in March. Each student received a pamphlet with information about the Auskick Program and it is also available for your perusal on the OLOL Community News. 

Futsal Clinic

On Tuesday 21^st February the Year 5 students participated in a Futsal Clinic with Chris McLeod the SWQ Director of Futsal. He engaged with the students in drills and skills needed to learn the game and then the students played a mini game of Futsal.  This sporting experience taught the students that Futsal is so much quicker and played in a much tighter space than outside soccer. Player's must react quicker which increases their foot speed and agility and provides players more opportunities to develop strength, endurance, and flexibility. Many of the students expressed an interest in the game of Futsal and thank you to Chris McLeod for giving up your time to teach the OLOL students all about it. Chris is eager to come again in Term 2 to provide more opportunities for students at OLOL.

NRL Clinics

On Monday 20^th and Wednesday 22^nd February the NRL Development Officer for Darling Downs Malachy Sweeney attended OLOL to run Rugby League Tag clinics for the boys and girls in Year 2, 3 and 4. Mal spoke to the students about the focus of the game, is to have fun and then taught them the rules of Rugby League Tag. They engaged in fun drills and skills needed for the game and then participated in a mini game against each other. It was a great session for the students to gain confidence and knowledge in the lead up to the Year 3 students participating in the Rugby League Tag Gala Day on Monday 6^th March. A big thanks to Mal for giving up his time to come and teach the students at OLOL.

Kara

Kara Wann

PE Teacher

Great news....lunchtime Garden Club will commence again on Tuesdays for any interested children in grades 4 to 6. The kids will be collecting and planting seeds, propagating cuttings, and learning all about the joy of gardening and the miracle of nature.

Mrs Kelly and I can't wait to share our passion with your budding young gardeners.

Jo