I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits as we approach the halfway mark of Term 2. It has been an eventful couple of weeks filled with exciting accomplishments, valuable experiences, and important announcements. Here are some highlights from our school community.  

Building Update and Prep 2024 

I am excited to inform you that we have recently received approval from Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office for a third Prep class to commence from the beginning of 2024. There have been a significant number of Prep enrolment applications, including an overwhelming number of younger siblings of current students. Due to the current demand for places in Prep at OLOL, we are happy to offer a third Prep class and a newly created third Prep classroom to our community in 2024. This was always on our Master Plan. It is great we get to see this plan come to fruition and we will now have three streams from Prep - Year 6.

Refurbishing of the current Prep classrooms will commence next semester to create three classrooms, however, this will not occur until Giabal building has been completed and Years 1- 4 are all in their allocated rooms within Quinlan and Giabal buildings. Once this has happened, the current Prep classes will move into the Demountable classrooms where Year 1 are currently. Although our builders are still hesitant to provide us with a handover date, we envisage that Year 1 –4 will move into Giabal and Quinlan buildings early next term and Prep classes will move after Year 1 move out.

We thank everyone for your ongoing patience and understanding with the continual delays with the building project. Thank you for your continued support, especially with the disruption to normal school routines caused by this project. We will certainly enjoy the completed classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, amenities, and play spaces when they come, which will be amazing for our community. 

Staff Changes  

Congratulations to Mrs Emily McKay who has been asked to step up into a leadership role at St Patrick’s Primary, in St George. This is a short-term contract for the next five weeks but the experience will be a great opportunity for Emily to learn about leading in another school context. We welcome Mrs Kirsten Moore to the Year 5 teaching team in place of Mrs McKay. Kirsten brings a wealth of experience and is looking forward to teaching at OLOL until the end of the term.  

Community events 

Thank you to all who attended our recent community events including, our Mothers’ Day Mass and Family Games Night. Your commitment to community engagement helps sustain our positive Lourdes culture and helps your child engage in and enjoy their schooling. We value your involvement in your child's education and your support of our family events. 

Our Purpose

Our core belief is that Lourdes is a powerful influence on how students think and act as learners and global citizens. We believe that Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think. Our teachers are constantly exploring different strategies and resources to help teach our students ways to become better learners and global citizens. This is ongoing work that our learners need in order to thrive in our complex world. 

Growth Mindset 

In life, we often encounter obstacles and face challenges that test our resilience and determination. It is during these moments that our true character shines through, and we have the opportunity to grow and learn. We believe in fostering a growth mindset—a belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, effort, and a willingness to learn.  

The following strategies may help you and members of your family overcome challenges:  

1. Embrace Resilience: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and adapt in the face of adversity. By embracing resilience, we can maintain a positive attitude, persevere through difficult times, and keep moving forward.

2. Seek Support: Remember that you are not alone. Reach out to teachers, mentors, and peers who can provide guidance and support. Together, we can brainstorm ideas, offer different perspectives, and find solutions that may have been overlooked.

3. Foster a Growth Mindset: View challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Instead of being discouraged by setbacks, approach them with curiosity and a determination to improve. Recognize that failure is not a permanent condition, but rather a stepping stone on the path to success.

4. Break it Down: Sometimes, challenges can appear overwhelming. To tackle them effectively, break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. By taking one step at a time, you can make progress and build momentum towards your goals.

5. Think Creatively:  Encourage yourself and others to think creatively, challenge assumptions, and consider different perspectives. Innovation often arises from finding unexpected paths to overcome obstacles.

6. Learn from Setbacks: Every setback holds valuable lessons. Take the time to reflect on what went wrong, what could be done differently, and how to apply those lessons to future endeavors. Remember, setbacks are not a reflection of your worth but an opportunity for growth.  

Mr Golightly has just overcome a personal challenge walking the Camino. Over 36 days, he and two of his colleagues walked 893km in total! And with only four rest days along the way. Chris has said he endured some tough days of physical pain but he overcame it all with the help of his mates and their encouragement along the way. Persevering, taking each day as it came, and having an optimistic, growth mindset helped him reach the final destination on his pilgrimage.  

As we each navigate the challenges that come our way, let us remember that challenges are not roadblocks but stepping stones on our journey towards personal and academic growth. Together, we can foster a supportive environment where perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence are celebrated. Wishing you strength and determination.  

Thank you for your ongoing support, and let's make the second half of Term 2 even more successful and rewarding!  

Upcoming Events

Kind regards,  

Miranda

Ms Miranda Murray
Acting Principal

Mothers Day Mass

A big thank you to all the Mothers and Grandmothers who came to celebrate with us for the Mothers’ Day Mass on Friday 12^th May. We had a lovely time after Mass sharing morning tea. We thank Father Quinlan for his thoughtful Homily about how our Mothers do worry about us all the time and we need to appreciate all that Mums do for us whatever age we are.

I caught a few snaps of Mums and children at morning tea – Enjoy.

Confirmation and First Eucharist

Last Tuesday, 25 of our Year 4, 5 and 6 students from our school and parish, received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The children enjoyed listening to Bishop Robert talk about the importance of the Gifts of the Spirit and how these gifts help us on our journey of faith. He also spoke about how important it is to have the guidance of our family, friends, and community. He mentioned how important his grandparents were on his faith journey! We thank Bishop Robert for his time and inspiration.

These children then received their First Eucharist last Sunday. 

We congratulate these children and their families for the sacramental journey they have undertaken. These children are now full members of the Catholic Faith. They are very excited to be able to receive communion at the Wednesday Parish Mass and school masses in the future.

We thank Father Quinlan and the Parish Sacramental Team for the time and effort they put into the Preparation Sundays, preparing, and setting up for each of the Liturgies. We are so lucky to be supported by the close connection we have with our Parish during our Sacramental Journeys and School Mass celebrations.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

If your child is in Year 3 and up would like to be part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation - a “Forms” note for the Preparation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Term 3 will be emailed over the next couple of weeks. If you don’t receive an email and would like to be part of this year’s programme, please contact the parish office (07 46 341453 9:00am – 1:00pm weekdays) or email the Parish at olol.parish@bigpond.com  It would be a good time now to locate your child’s Baptism Certificate and find an A5 sized photo. 

Dates for your Diary: 

Thursday 25^th May – Assembly 2:00pm – Led by 2G

Thursday 1^st June – NO Assembly – due to OLOL Athletics Carnivals

Thursday 8^th June – Assembly 2:00pm – Led by 2B

Thursday 15^th June – Assembly 2:00pm- Led by 1M

Thursday 15^th June Free Dress – Favourite Footy Colours – Gold Coin donation for our Catholic Charities of St Vincent De Paul – Our Local St Vincent De Paul chapter support the families of our Parish who are finding things difficult in our current economic climate. If you know of someone that may need such support please do not hesitate to contact our OLOL Parish Office (07 46 341453 9 am – 1pm weekdays or email the Parish at olol.parish@bigpond.com ) and they will put you in contact with our local St Vincent De Paul Chapter. Or alternatively, if you would like to be a volunteer in this area – please also contact the Parish Office.

Friday 23^rd  June – NAIDOC Assembly – 12:00 noon- Led by Year 4 (No Thursday Assembly on 22nd June 2023) 

Term 3 

Thursday 20^th July – Pyjama Day – Wear your pyjamas today and bring a gold coin for the “Pyjama Foundation” -  The Pyjama Foundation provides volunteers who help children in care. Through a simple program known as the “Love of Learning Program”, volunteers called “Pyjama Angels” are matched with a child in care, they spend an hour per week focussing on learning based activities, reading stories aloud, playing games, helping with homework. In this time, they demonstrate that the child is loved and valued. We have our very own Pyjama Angels – Mrs Wagner and Mrs Monte – we thank them for the time and commitment they share with the children they see.

Wednesday 26^th July – Catholic Education Week Assembly – Grandparents Day– 9:00am School Hall - Please email in 1 photo of your grandparents to Mrs Moore (Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au ) for the photostory ppt. Photos need to be in no later than Wednesday 19th July 2023.    If there are any Volunteers available to help with a morning tea – please contact Mrs J Moore. 

Friday 28^th July – Bishop’s Inservice Pupil Free Day

Finally, we wish Mrs McKay all the very best as she goes to St George to be the APRE/ ML at St Patrick’s Primary School for 5 weeks and we welcome Young Mrs Moore to 5M for those 5 weeks.

Have a great week! 

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)

At Our Lady of Lourdes, we have been encouraging children to use the Zones of Regulation to help them self-regulate and manage their emotions. The four colours, Red, Green, Yellow and Blue are used to describe the type of emotion that a student is feeling. We can use pictures or words in each of the four zones to help children identify what type of emotion they are experiencing.  

The Green Zone is referred to as to the happy or ready to learn zone. The Yellow zone is when children are feeling a little frustrated, a little anxious or worried. Whilst the Red Zone is when they are feeling much more energy and they are overwhelmed, overly excited or very angry. Whilst the Blue zone is when children don’t have much energy are feeling down.  The Green Zone is when we feel happy and able to focus and attend to our learning.  Using the Zones, we can help children, learn to identify strategies that can assist them to get back into the Green zone after they may have felt heightened or if they have felt upset by an event. Teaching children that it is ok, to feel an emotion in any of the four zones, it's important to also learn how to get back to a calmer zone as this is when we can think more clearly about the situation and learn more. Part of teaching children the zones is helping them identify strategies that will assist them and remembering, that everyone has different ways of coping.  

Some coping strategies that may assist: 

• Changing our thinking from an Inner Critic to an Inner Coach. Often it is our negative self-talk, which is contributing to us feeling anxious, or sad. Teaching children, that we treat ourselves like our own best friend. Positive self-talk, and a belief in our own ability can assist us to give more effort and not to give up when learning gets difficult.   

• Exercise. Not only is it great for our bodies to move often, it helps us think more positively and feel much happier about a situation.  

• Calming Activities. Reading, spending time outside, breathing slowly, taking time to be grateful. 

• Talking to a trusted friend or adult about the problem can also assist. 

• Mindfulness: Thinking of five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things that you can feel, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. This activity helps children and adults be present, and in the moment. 

• Another activity that might be useful to try at home is the Smiling Mind App, which is free and helps children learn meditation strategies to feel calm and relaxed. www.smilingmind.com.au 

For more information about the Zones of Regulation see www.socialthinking.com.au 

Take care and be kind, 

Sarah Jackman 
Guidance Counsellor

Prep

Halfway through Term 2! We have commenced our testing for Semester One and it’s lovely to see the academic growth of each student. Revision is the key to learning in the Early Years and we very much rely on your support at home to be practising letter/sound, sight words and word families. Of course, bedtime reading is a must!

The cold weather has arrived – all children need to be dressed in their winter uniform. All warm clothing must be navy blue. A navy skivvy under the school T-shirt is a perfect way to stay warm but allows the child to move around freely.

As you know we commence school at 8.20am. Please try to be at school by 8.10 so your child is ready to start activities. Our playground is supervised from 8am with our play rules the same as during the day. There are to be no running games and we keep hands and feet to ourselves.

We are off to the Empire Theatre on the 9^th June which will be very exciting. The Alison Lester story “Are We There Yet?” is the stage production we are going to watch. We will study the story for the week before so have a thorough understanding of the plot.

Thanks to all the Mums for joining in our fun activities.

Cheers,

Melita, Liz and Loretta

Year 1

Welcome to Week 6! In English this week, we have been busy publishing our retells of the Dreamtime story ‘Echidna and the Shade Tree’. Published work is meant to be presented to an audience, so we will share our retells with our Buddies and the Prep classes when they are complete. We have also started looking at poetry, as we prepare to begin our next unit of work.   

In Maths, we are taking what we have learnt about patterns in numbers to dive deeper in our learning about two-digit numbers. We are investigating the pattern of ten more and ten less and have realised that it is only the digit in the tens place that changes when looking at ten more or ten less. We are still practising skip counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, so please quiz us in the car!

In Geography and Science, we continue to investigate our school environment; to notice the features of our place, and to wonder about the changes occurring with some trees. We are very lucky to have such a beautiful landscape here at Lourdes!

It has been wonderful to observe the growth in maturity in our students as they strive to be Lourdes Learners every day. Lourdes Learners are CALLed to Think and the children are at the stage where they are showing a greater understanding of what it means to be a learner. Their talk about the learning, shows that they are thinking, wondering, and engaged.

We seem to have a lot of misplaced hats and jumpers at the moment, so it would be appreciated if you could please check that your child has their belongings. We are still working on putting things into our bags and zipping them up! Often times things fall out and then are picked up and put into wrong bags.

Have a great week!

Jen, Dennielle and Laura

Year 2

What super readers we have in our Grade 2 cohort! We have heard some wonderful reading over the past weeks whilst completing our reading testing. Many students achieved success by moving up PM levels and Probe sets or even improving in their comprehensive understanding. So, keep supporting your child’s reading by reading with them at home and letting them see you read your favourite book too!

In Maths we have been investigating telling the time (o’clock, half past, quarter to and quarter past) and fractions (halves, quarters, and eighths). Any additional experiences you can provide at home will greatly benefit your child’s understanding of these tricky concepts.  

In English students have enjoyed researching about their chosen animal to then write an information report for assessment. Students even discovered a fun fact about their animal.

Fun Fact: Did you know that kangaroos cannot walk or run backwards.

In Hass we are exploring ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples maintain special connections to Country/Place.

2G will be presenting the assembly prayer this week (Thursday 25^th May) and 2B will present in Week 8 (Thursday 8^th June). 

Thanks for reading! 

Sarah, Ange B and Ange G

Year 3

Hi, Year 3 families! We are getting into the very busy part of the Term!

What’s on in Year 3…

Athletic’s Carnival: On Day 1, students are to be dropped off to O’Quinn Street Oval between 8:00 – 8:30am and collected from O’Quinn Street Oval between 2:30 – 3:00pm. There will be no bus provided. After School Care Children will be collected from the Oval by a teacher and taken to OLOL. Please inform your class teacher if your child will be attending after-school care on Tuesday 30^th. Students need to wear their house colours, bring a packed lunch, OLOL school hat, water bottle, sunscreen (applied before attending), and a book to read while waiting for their events. There will be a canteen open on Day 1, students will not be allowed to purchase lollies, sports drinks, or soft drinks. 8-year-olds will participate in their sprints on Friday (2^nd) at OLOL Oval from 9 – 11am. Parents and carers are welcome to come to watch and cheer on both Day 1 and Day 3! See PE section of Newsletter for more information.

Maths: We are coming to the end of our 3-week unit of work involving 2D shapes, 3D objects, grid mapping and angles. The students have loved creating and exploring 3D shapes through net-making and the planning of a space (e.g. playground, town, school). Next, we will be exploring multiplication and division strategies.

English: We are continuing with our Procedural Text Genre. Students are exploring the words used in Procedures, identifying them, adding them, and writing them. These are action verbs (e.g. cut, glue, mix), adverbs (e.g. slowly, cautiously), and adverbial phrases that tell when, where, or how (e.g. after 5 minutes, with your ruler). The skills of following procedures and instructions can be transferred at home with following recipes in cooking.

HASS: We are continuing to learn about Australia’s neighbouring countries – East Timor, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. Students are doing well conducting research in pairs to learn more about our neighbours. We will be working towards creating a poster about a Neighbour of students’ choice to explore the similarities and differences between their Neighbouring country and Australia.

Religion: In Religion, students are learning about the Catholic Church. They enjoyed Mrs Moore’s tour of the OLOL Church and learnt about different symbols in a Catholic Church. The students are really excited to learn more about the Sacrament of Reconciliation next term in preparation for the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Confirmation in Grade 4.

Photos: Please see attached pictures from our Mother’s Day Morning Tea and Cohort Meeting.

Have a great week everyone.

Demi, Toni, Sarah and Garry

Year 4

Year 4 has had a busy few weeks and students have been demonstrating fantastic Lourdes Learner traits.

In HASS this term the students are learning about the First Fleet and to tie in with their learnings, students created a canva to demonstrate their knowledge. All students created a timeline and biography in Canva, representing Captain James Cook’s life and journeys. The students are enjoying creating graphic organisers and infographics on Canva to extend their learning and technology skills.

Students are preparing to plan their monologue for English. Students will write from the perspective of a child convict and present it to the class. Students have been learning about public speaking skills and are looking forward to listening to their peers present their monologues.

We have continued athletics training in preparation for the Athletics Carnival. On Friday students participated in shot put and discus lessons at Newtown Park. The carnival will be in Week 7.

Congratulations to all Year 4 students who celebrated their Confirmation and Holy Communion. What a special milestone for these students who will now take part in Eucharist during our weekly Masses on Wednesday.

Have a splendid week!

Suzanne, Aleisha, Jessica and Danielle      

Year 5

Week 6 marks the downhill run to the school holidays! That said, there is no rest until we reach that finish line. Term 2 has continued to throw some curve balls our way. We are so proud of Mrs. McKay as she settles in out at St. George. Being a Global Citizen is what we all aspire to be, and she is demonstrating what it is to get out of your comfort zone to support a community in need. We will certainly miss her and look forward to her return for Term 3!

Key Dates

• Tuesday 30^th May – Athletics Carnival Day 1
• Thursday 1^st June – Athletics Carnival Day 2
• Thursday 15^th June – Sports Team Dress Up Day – Catholic Mission Gold Coin donationSt Vincent de Paul
• Thursday 22^nd June – Ball Games carnival
• Friday 23^rd June – NAIDOC Assembly @ 12pm – Final Day of term

Lourdes Learner Focus

For the remainder of the term, our students are focusing on traits of communicate and act.  Students regularly receive feedback, especially in English and Maths, and should have a clear idea of where they are in their learning against our success criteria.

English

Students have worked well in the development of persuasive texts. They have learnt about different persuasive devices and have been applying these to bump up their work. Students have been practising, receiving verbal feedback from teachers and written feedback from peers. This week students will begin working on their persuasive letter to Ms. Murray. We look forward to reading their creative points and use of persuasive devices to persuade her.

Maths

Our impact cycle of decimals and fractions is now leading into work with percentages. These concepts are often difficult for students. Reflective practice, checking in and monitoring our progress, will continue to guide our learning journey in decimals, fractions and percentages.

Science

The students enjoyed participating in experiments last week, where we explored the properties of gas. Through a teacher-led experiment, and with the assistance of some keen student helpers, the classes observed a zip-lock bag expanding, by combining two common household staples - baking soda and vinegar. The chemical reaction created a gas, causing the bag to inflate. We then attempted this same experiment in a bottle to blow up a balloon. Each class was successful in inflating their balloon, with 5C managing to inflate the biggest one! The children thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

Athletics Carnival

Athletics carnival is next week. O’Quinn street is often cold with the wind whipping across the oval. Please remember jumpers, hats, lunches, and water bottles, all of which need to be named. Please see Mrs. Wigan’s PE section for more detailed information.

Have a great week!

Amy, Jess and Kirsten (and Emily in spirit)     

Year 6

The Arrival is the text for our current English unit. Just like Boy Overboard, the theme explores migration. It is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey for a new beginning. The discussions enable us to think as global citizens and to answer our Catholic Social Teachings of human solidarity. The challenge for our students is to “read” the text as it is a graphic novel with no words. All work for this is located on Canvas. However, much of the work will involve making inferences within class discussions.

Students also have a HaSS assignment to complete during class time related to migrants and their stories. There is great interest in our cohort of the Ten Pound Pom story – even more so now that there have been advertisements for the series on Stan. Our migration units will culminate with a multicultural day of food, costumes, dance, and soccer during Week Ten– more details to follow.

Assignment work in Religion will be a report on a modern-day prophet. Part B will be persuading the audience that their chosen person is a spokesperson for God and ensures dignity and justice for all. Choices will include Princess Diana, Malala Yousufzai and Australia’s very own Gemma Sisia.

In Science, students have learnt about suspension, solutions, and forms of matter.

“We filtered honey, butter and sesame oil to see what would filter partially, easily filter and not filter.” Hunter and Zeb.

We enjoyed our recent author visit by Sami Bayly. Our artwork was inspired by following her techniques. Please find images of our prickly football fish!

Kylie, Shauna, Garry and Helen

Book Fair  

THANK YOU Lourdes families! Book Fair was a HUGE success this year with over $5000 in revenue raised meaning $1460 in Scholastic Rewards Points that we can put to use to support Teaching and Learning at Lourdes. Book Fair will be back again in 2024. Congratulations to all our Pirate Loot Winners – we hope you enjoyed spending your Bookaneer Bucks at Book Fair.  

Author Visit 

Gus Gordon visited with our Year 3 and 4 classes on Wednesday 19th May. He shared stories about his life and how he came to be a published author and illustrator. Gus reminded our Lourdes Learners about the importance of - working through and back and through again - the writing process. A huge thanks to Gus Gordon for coming to Lourdes and providing students with a real-life, author-illustrator experience.   

NSS 2023 The Speedy Sloth 

The wait is OVER and it is finally time to read the story of THE SPEEDY SLOTH. National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 23rd successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. We have a great Non-Fiction Display in the Library at the moment to help children learn about the lives, habitats and features of sloths. Drop by to have a look. ? 

Independent Readers 

Teachers have been busily assessing students reading and we have some NEWLY Independent Readers. Congratulations to these fabulous Lourdes Learners. 

New Books 

We have some interesting, engaging and exciting NEW ARRIVALS. Drop by and check-them-out! ? 

Chess 

Chess Lessons for Term 2 are now FULL. We will run lessons again in Term 3. We do not offer Chess in Term 4 so be sure to sign up early if you missed out this term. If you have questions or issues with Chess please contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au  

AccessIt – Access to all things Library and Research from anywhere in the world. 

AccessIt Don’t forget about our school Library Catalogue. Students can search for books, read Britannica, try Huey the Bookbot to select a new book to read, watch a clip on Click View and lots more! Students (or parents) can even check their current loans! Sign in to ensure FULL access (Click View, Britannica). 

Book Club 

NEW ISSUE 4 Book Club brochures will be sent home later this week. If you missed Book Fair feel free to order some new books for home. Orders Due: Wednesday 7th July 2023 by 3pm. Order via LOOP. Questions? Issues? Contact Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Enjoy your books!

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

Upcoming Dates

Darling Downs Cross Country Results

Congratulations to all the students that participated in last week’s Darling Downs Zone Cross Country Carnival.

Congratulations to Odin, Grade 5, on his result in the Multi-Class event. Odin has been selected to represent the Darling Downs at the State Championships. Good luck Odin!

Calendar Update

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

• 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. Please ensure that you confirm these details when the trial notice is released.

Congratulations to the following students on their selection in representative teams:

2023 Track & Field Carnival - Parent Information

* See schedule of events below.

Age-Group Divisions

All students will be issued with a colour-coded name sticker that states their name and year of birth.  House marshals will provide students with their sticker when they check in on day 1 at O’Quinn Street. This will greatly assist staff in ensuring all students are where they should be and competing in the right age group.  Students compete in their age group not their class year.  Please see below if you are unsure what age group your child falls into:

All students in grade 3, who are born in 2015, will participate in the 2014, or 9 years, category for Long Jump.  However, as they are not of eligible age, they will not participate in High Jump, Discus and Shot Put, nor will they be eligible for age championship points.  They will simply be participating in these events to provide them with a valuable experience and to gain participation house points.

Event Eligibility & Nomination

Points Allocation - Individual Age-Championship & House Points

The following points will be awarded to individual athletes and their respective houses according to the overall places that they obtain in each event.  Heats will be run for all track events (in the 9-12 year’s category), except for the 800m.  One participation point will go towards each students’ individual and house tally following these heats.  Subsequently, finals will then take place to award the major individual age championship points and house points, as below. These points will also be awarded to all 9-12 year old’s for field events.

1^st Place – 10 points (Blue Ribbon), 2^nd Place – 6 points (Red Ribbon), 3^rd Place – 4 Points (Green Ribbon), 4^th Place – 2 Points (Yellow Ribbon) and 1 Point - 5^th place onwards.

80m, 100m & 200m Final Qualifications

All 80m, 100m and 200m events will be timed and the fastest 8-9 runners will proceed to the final.  All students will be required to remain at the finish line until all heats in their age group have been run.  Finalists will then be named, and they will proceed directly to the track marshals to run their respective final.

High Jump

Only Students in the 9-12 Years age groups will be eligible for this event.  They will be required to nominate, as well as clear a qualifying height during PE lessons. Qualifying heights and numbers will vary depending on individual cohorts.

High Jump – Fosbury Flop

As per risk assessment guidelines, only students that have obtained a certificate of competence will be allowed to perform the Fosbury Flop.  If your child would like to be considered, please contact me on the details below prior to the carnival day.

Medal Presentations

No presentations will be held at the oval.  A special assembly will be conducted to present all age champions from 2014-2011 and winning houses on Friday 2nd June at 2:00pm. As with Swimming and cross country, medallions will be presented to age champions in the 9-12 years age category.

Catholic Carnival and West Zone Carnival Team Selection

Following the school Track & Field Carnival, Our Lady of Lourdes will be selecting a team to represent the school at the Catholic Carnival and West Zone Carnival.  Only students born 2011-2014 are eligible for team selection.  OLOL are limited to the following numbers of entries in both carnivals.  Only students born 2011-2013 are eligible to participate in the Shot Put and the Discus at zone level:

Students born 2018-2015 are also offered the opportunity to participate in the track events at the Catholic Track & Field Carnival.  The top 3 runners in each age group will be selected.

As you may be aware, the students turning 8 this year, born in 2015, are enrolled in Grades 2 & 3. 

This presents a challenge when selecting the fastest three 8-year-olds to attend the Catholic Schools Track & Field Carnival, because they do not all race their heats on the same day. To enable us to compare these students on a level playing field, we will be running an 8-year-old final on Friday morning, June 2, after the Prep – Grade 2 heats.  These finals will take place at approximately 10:00am.  The finals will consist of the top four Grade 2 boys, and the top four Grade 3 boys, all born in 2015. The same will also occur for the girls. I will notify the Grade 3 teachers, after the carnival on Tuesday, which students have been selected to run in the final on Friday. 

More information regarding the school track & field team will be made available at a later date.

Absence from the school carnival

If your child is unable to attend one or both days of the school Track & Field Carnival, and they would like to be considered for the school team, please contact me on the details below.  The school will grant exemptions on the same grounds as Darling Downs School Sport. These grounds for exemption are as follows:

1. Medical condition on the day of the carnival & they have a medical certificate.
2. Attending another Zone, Toowoomba, Darling Downs, Queensland School Sport or School Sport Australia Championships or equivalent in community sports.
3. Bereavement or compassionate reasons

If one or more of these conditions have been met, the school will organize to record times and distances for the affected student, preferably prior to the carnival, as a means of team selection.  It is important to note that these times and distances will only be considered for placement in the school team, and not to go towards Age Championship Points.  To be awarded age champion the student must attend the school carnival.  Please contact me if you require further clarification.

Canteen

There will be a canteen open on day 1.  Please remind your children about making sensible purchases.  Children will not be allowed to purchase lollies, sports drinks or soft drinks.

Helpers/Volunteers

If you are available to help with marshalling, timekeeping, scoring, amongst other jobs, please email me on the address below.  It is not possible to run the event successfully without the help of our parents.  Thank you in anticipation of your assistance. 

OLOL Track & Field Carnival Medallions – Sponsorship

In previous years various families and businesses have donated the Age-champion medallions to be given to the children.  All donations given will be acknowledged in the school newsletter and carnival program.  If you would like to contribute to the purchase of the medallions, or know someone that might like to, please email me on the details below. 

Track & Field Carnival - Schedule of Events – Day 1

O’Quinn Street

Track & Field Carnival - Schedule of Events – Day 2

O’Quinn Street Oval

Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au

DRAMA 

This term in drama, the students in year 1-4 are learning poetry and in particular, how to become a character with this poem.  Please keep an eye out for a hard copy that students should have brought home.  Be sure to keep this in a safe place, so that they can practice at home.   

Year 1 and 2 students have been given a selection of poems to choose from, to perform individually in class.  As the year 1 and 2 students continue with Drama all through the year, we are only making a start on them now and won’t be performing these until Term 3, in our drama lessons.  We are also working on some fabulous, dramatic performances, using puppets and learning about Dreamtime stories. 

Year 3 students are all working on the same ‘Verse Speaking’ group poem, along with their characterisation skills, in drama lessons.   Their involvement in these activities will form part of their overall assessment for Drama this semester.   

As an extra opportunity, some students will be selected to perform this group poem and represent OLOL at the inaugural Toowoomba Catholic Education Arts Fest. Information for these students will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks. 

Year 4 students have been given a selection of poems which they have a choice to perform individually or with a partner.  They have shown great enthusiasm so far and we are looking forward to seeing each other transform into their character and tell their story.  All students should be ready to perform in WEEK 8 of this term. This will form part of their overall assessment for Drama this semester. 

Year 5 and 6 students will have drama in Semester 2. 

Later this year, we will be showcasing and celebrating The Arts at OLOL, and students across the year levels will be chosen to perform in many areas of The Arts.  Again, more details on this, later in the year. 

It is great to see such enthusiasm in our drama lessons each week! 

Please get in touch if you have any questions. 

Amanda.Holzheimer@twb.catholic.edu.au 

The wet weather was such a welcome relief last week, but our Garden Club kids were quite saddened to have to miss a day of gardening. Their seeds they have collected and planted so far this year are coming along beautifully, and they are in awe with their fruiting cotton plants in their veggie garden at the moment too.

Thank you so much to those of you who supported the Garden Club during the Mother's Day morning tea recently, by purchasing plants and crafts. 

 A very much belated thankyou too, to one of our mum's, Sarah O'Neil, for helping to put together Chris Golightly's farewell flowers last term. Sarah added some of her beautiful home-grown flowers that she sells, to help us put together one of the biggest and most beautiful bunches of flowers, for our well-deserved principal.

Jo