A very warm welcome to the beginning of the 2024 school year. It has been wonderful to meet the students of Our Lady of Lourdes these past two weeks along with many families. It has really stood out to me what a strong sense of community and welcome this school has. Thank you for such a positive start and genuine welcome.

We also welcome any new families to the Lourdes community this year along with our new prep students who have begun their school journey in the newly refurbished classrooms. I am so glad that you have chosen this wonderful school and look forward to meeting you all throughout the term. The partnership between families and school is something I really value.

Welcome to the new staff who have also joined us this year.

• Miss Rebecca Dooley (Prep D)
• Mrs Leah Rees (School officer)
• Miss Melissa Ferguson (3F)
• Mrs Kirsty Currie (3C)
• Miss Sandra Rosentreter (5R)
• Mr Richard Dugdale (Specialist PE teacher)

Prior to the students' return last week, the staff spent 6 days of professional development and preparation time.  We explored the topics of literacy, wellbeing for students and maintaining a culture of being 'distinctively catholic in our school.  Staff also spent time setting up classrooms and having them ready for student learning. There were also many staff working behind the scenes to make the school look so wonderful. The gardens look spectacular, our library space is ready for a world of reading, sport preparation is well under way for 2024 and the grounds were ready for little feet to run around on. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous effort put in by all staff members to prepare for the year ahead for our students.

I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful preparation by parents, to have your children ready for the start of the year. As parents/carers, you have such a key role to play in the encouragement and support you give to your children that engages them in the learning process. No school year is without some challenges, but when we work together, we are establishing positive building blocks that support our students in their journey. As we work to start the year as best we can, I invite parents to become aware and involved in what is happening for their child. Below are the dates for the upcoming parent information evenings:

* Year 1-3 Parent Night- Wednesday January 31 5:30 pm (beginning in the hall)

* Prep and Years 4-6 Parent Night- Wednesday February 7 at 5.30 pm beginning in the hall

Please do come along to the evenings and make that strong connection with your children's teachers and our school Leadership team. Knowing the curriculum, expectations and events has a significant positive impact on success for your child/ren. I look forward to meeting many of you on these nights.

You can also be connected to the school through:

• The school newsletter emailed to families each fortnight.
• Communication distributed by teachers
• The Sentral App for Parents
• Referring regularly to the school calendar
• Attending/supporting the P&F
• Looking out for opportunities from class teachers to be involved in events

There is so much to look forward to throughout 2024. Most importantly, our students will have every opportunity to learn, establish positive connections with each other and involve themselves in school life. I look forward to the many formal and informal gatherings throughout the year that contribute so positively to the strong sense of community present at Our Lady of Lourdes. Please come and say hello to me when you see me around the school- I really look forward to knowing all our families.

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry 
Principal

Upcoming Events

Welcome to 2024! What a great start to the year we’ve had with all students and staff blessed to be in renovated or new learning spaces. These renovations and new projects have taken place over the past five years and it is wonderful to see contemporary spaces for our learners to thrive in each day. What a relief that our Prep students were able to begin the new year with their newly renovated spaces, finished just in the nick of time for the first day of school!

This year brings three new Teaching and Learning projects for us at Lourdes. As a community of learners, we take on innovative and researched teaching practices that aim to have the greatest impact on our Lourdes Learners. The three projects are the Diocesan Approach to Reading, Transformative Schools, and Illuminate.

The Diocesan Approach to Reading

The Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office is leading a new Diocesan Approach to Reading (DAR) project with all Catholic schools in our diocese. This has been driven by the curriculum changes and current research on the science of reading. As teachers learn new updated teaching practices, parents may notice changes as the year progresses, but teachers will be sure to communicate any new routines for homework etc.

The image below shows ‘the big six’ of reading and all elements help our young readers become successful, skilled readers. Parents and carers can help develop their child’s reading skills by forming great habits of reading together with their child and encouraging children to reread books on their own to help develop fluency.

Transformative Schools

Transformative Schools is a Brisbane-based wellbeing education consultancy business, founded by Sue Chandler. With a focus on being a connected and engaged learning community, the aim of this project is to develop a contemporary whole school wellbeing and behaviour framework connected to our Charism and Catholic identity. The contextual well-being framework will emphasize positive relationships, social cohesion, and a nurturing environment. This will build on our strong culture that is already established at Our Lady of Lourdes.

This Thursday and Friday, Sue Chandler will visit our school to carry out an Appreciative Inquiry discovery audit which involves meeting with and observing staff and students. A survey for parents has been sent and your input will be greatly appreciated. Sue will use her observations and results from surveys to guide us in developing relational, system-wide approaches and a foundational structure for a framework.

Illuminate

The Illuminate project shines a light on Religious Education and the Religious Life of the School. In being distinctively Catholic, the project helps us embrace ways our school’s Catholic values and practices, guided by the teachings of Jesus, give direction and meaning to our lives today.

The project will help teachers to ensure they recontextualise RE so that students engage in dialogue about the Catholic tradition, their personal experiences, and contemporary culture. As with all learning areas, teachers will develop high quality teaching strategies that support all students to grow in their learning.

As always, if you have any questions or queries about the above projects, please contact your child’s teacher or any member of the leadership team.

Thanks for reading.

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Welcome back to 2024. It has been great to be greeted with the many smiling faces from the students of OLOL, to hear their holiday news and to catch up with everyone as they begin their 2024 academic year.  

Our first Assembly is on Thursday 1^st February, at 2:00 pm led by 4V– all are welcome to join us. 

In Week 3 on Monday 5^th February, our Year 6 students will participate in a retreat in the Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Our Beginning of School Mass will be on Friday 9th February at 10 am in the OLOL Hall.  We celebrate our school Motto “Serviam - I will Serve” - We are guided by the Charism of the Ursuline Order whose Sisters were the first teachers of the students of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our school started in 1940.  Four sisters led by Sister Hildegarde Nolan would come by taxi from St Ursula’s College each day to Our Lady of Lourdes. Sister Hildegarde and her sisters did much to lay the foundation of a friendly, caring, cooperative atmosphere, these are attributes which our staff continue to build on in our community today.

It is Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in Week 4. We do request donations of pancake mix, maple syrup, serviettes, paper plates and bamboo forks in readiness for our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast at 7:30 am on Tuesday 13^th February. Donations can be brought to classrooms and will be sent down the day before. Pancakes can be purchased for $1. The money raised will be donated to the Lenten Appeal for Caritas.  Our Year 6 students will be rostered on to help with the preparation, cooking, serving, and clean up as part of their commitment to our school motto “Serviam” which means “I will Serve”.

This is followed by our Ash Wednesday prayer on Wednesday 14^th February at 2 pm in the hall. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent, which is a time of reflection to improve ourselves. Lent is the six weeks before Easter.

We also have our Year 6 Leadership Badge Presentation Assembly at 2pm on Thursday 15^th February in our school hall. Our Year 6 students have been preparing since Prep to be our school leaders. They are super eager to share their leadership skills this year. 

The preparation for the 2024 Confirmation and 1^st Eucharist Sacramental programme for children in Year 4 and up – begins soon.  The initial information form was emailed to families in Year 3 moving into Year 4 and up, late last year. Enrolments are due by Monday, 5^th February.  Please be aware that the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Sacramental Team is running the Sacramental program. If you did not receive an enrolment form, please contact the OLOL Parish Office on 46 341453 or email olol.parish@bigpond.com The Parish office is open Monday to Friday 9am – 1pm. The first parent meeting for 2024 is at 10:30 am on Sunday 18th February in the OLOL Church.

God Bless and have a wonderful week! 

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)

Prep

Welcome to Prep 2024 and what a great start we’ve had to the year!

Week 1 saw us getting to know each other and teaching the students our routines and expectations. Now in week 2 we are putting into practice what we have learned. We are particularly practising using great listening ears, looking at the person that is speaking, and following directions.

Our Prep information evening will be held next Wednesday, 7^th February commencing at 5:30pm. It is a great way to understand exactly what goes on in your child’s day at school and how you can help along the way.

Prep is an exciting time for your child, but it can also be a bit daunting for parents as well. Now is the time to start a good school routine - early to bed, healthy diet and exercise are all very important for a child to develop well.

We look forward to the journey ahead - please don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure of anything. We hope you enjoy the photos of our first week in Prep.

Many thanks,

Melita, Amy and Becky

Year 1

Welcome to Year 1, 2024. It is exciting to see lots of new families joining Lourdes this year, and we hope you are loving your new school!

The children are beginning to settle into the Year 1 routines. They are identifying the traits of a Lourdes Learner and practising what that looks like, sounds like and feels like in the classroom. The children coped well sitting in their new eating area and playing in the backyard play area. Year 1 children can also use the hall to play in at morning tea and they can go to the library during lunchtime play.  

We have Library borrowing on Mondays. Please ensure children bring along their library bag, and return all borrowed items from the previous week, in order to re-borrow each Monday. We encourage you to read the picture books with your child each night. On Tuesdays, we have Technology lessons in the library with Mrs Leathart. On Wednesday we have our specialist Music, Art and Drama lessons. Year 1 have PE on Thursdays and children are required to wear their sports uniform and ensure they have a hat and water bottle. All children also wear sports uniforms on Fridays.

Homework books have been sent home this week. Homework is designed to be revision of taught concepts to help cement the learning. It is due back each Friday so that books can be marked and returned ready for the following Monday.

We are looking forward to working with you and your child this year. Please contact us if you are unsure about anything. 

Laura, Jenny and Dennielle       

Year 2

Welcome to Year 2! We have had a fantastic start to the year and the students have settled well into their new classes and routines, showing themselves to be great Lourdes Learners. We extend a very special welcome to our new students and their families – Theo (2G), Chris and Matilda (2B) and Ellie (2D). It is wonderful to have you here at Lourdes.

Our parent information session will be held this evening (Wednesday) at 5:30 pm. If you are unable to make it, we will email all of the information home for you.

The Year 2 students have their Art, Music, and Drama lessons on Wednesday mornings and PE on Thursdays. 2G and 2D have library borrowing on Tuesdays and 2B on Wednesdays. Homework will be handed out on Mondays and is due the following Monday. Students are welcome to bring it in on Fridays if they have already completed it.

This week in English, we are focusing on common and proper nouns, as well as building our sentence writing skills. In Maths, we are exploring numbers up to 200 and consolidating some of our addition strategies. Our focus this term in Religion is Creation and how we can care for our world.

Thank you for your support in getting the year off to a great start and we look forward to working with you all this year.

Have a great week!

Sarah, Ange B and Ange G

Year 3

Welcome back to what will be a wonderful year at Our Lady of Lourdes! We have had a fantastic start in Year 3 and have hit the ground running with our learning. We would like to welcome the following students who have joined us this year – Thalita (3C), Gloria (3C), Raph (3C), Llewellyn (3F).

Our teaching team consists of Mrs Kirsty Currie, Miss Melissa Ferguson, and Mrs Demi Lawry. We are blessed with having 3 lovely school officers work with our classes throughout the week – Mrs Julie Otto, Miss Sophie Maudsley, and Mrs Nikki Kemp.

What’s on in Year 3…

This year, we are going to ask some of the children to write sections of the newsletter about their learning. Keep an eye out for your child’s writing!

Maths: Aliana & Mollie 3L

In Maths, we have been learning about odd and even numbers. In our Maths Groups we made odd and even monsters with playdough. Even numbers can be halved, and odd numbers cannot be halved. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 and even numbers end in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0. We are also learning about friends of ten. Friends of ten are two numbers that always equal 10 (for example 9 + 1 = 10). We have also been learning about how to use our Maths Grid Books neatly. Only one digit goes in each box.

English: Michaell & Isabella 3C

This week in 3C we have been learning about the Sentence Train. The Sentence Train is a learning tool made to help students write sentences that make sense. First, you start with the engine of the train, this is your subject. The next lot of carriages are your extra information. You need to make sure that each carriage has one piece of information.

For Example:

Religion: Whole Class 3C

Each afternoon, we have been participating in meditative prayer. This is a time when we take a few minutes to calm our bodies down and let go of anything that might be on our mind. The finger breathing tool can help us focus and slow our breathing down when we might be feeling angry or emotional.

Science: Whole Class 3L

In Science this week, Year 3 is learning about the layers of the Earth. This is to help us understand where rocks come from. Throughout the Term, we are learning all about different types of rocks, soils, and minerals and why they are important.

HASS: Whole Class 3F

In HASS, we are learning about celebrations around the world. Celebrations are a time when people come together to celebrate an event. Some of our favourite celebrations are Christmas, birthdays, Easter and New Years. During these celebrations, we usually have cake, balloons, music, presents, and dancing. It is wonderful to celebrate.

Health: Whole Class 3F

This week, in 3F, we have been learning about our identity and how we can be a good friend. We started by looking at ourselves and our own characteristics. Some characteristics were our hair type, eye colour, skin colour, interests, personality, and cultural background. Everyone is DIFFERENT! After, we decided on characteristics that make a good friend. These were being kind, being caring, using kind language to others, being helpful and being respectful. Good friends make school easier and FUN!

Important Information:

• A reminder that the sports uniform is to be worn on Wednesdays and Fridays
• Library borrowing days are: 3C and 3L – Wednesday, 3F - Friday
• Our specialist lessons (STEM, Drama, and Music) are on Monday mornings.
• Please ensure you have your family name on your sun visor or dashboard when you arrive at “Stop Drop and Go” - it makes it so much easier for the teachers on duty to call for your child/children. 

Have a great week!

Kirsty, Melissa, and Demi

Year 4

What an awesome start to 2024! The Year 4 students have settled into their classes smoothly and are enjoying getting back into the routines of school. To begin we have been busy establishing expectations for the term and revisiting the traits of a Lourdes Learner and Global Citizen. This week 4V will present the prayer assembly, 4T will present in Week 5 and 4L will be in Week 6.

This term in English we will read Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda. We explore the wonderful vocabulary and character development throughout the story. In Maths, we have started looking at rounding numbers, working with odd and even numbers, and learning how friendly numbers can help us with addition and subtraction. We are learning to use our basic number facts to help us with more complex problems.

In Hass this term we explore the lives of the First Nations people before 1788, looking at their farming, the tools they used, the Dreamtime, ceremonies, their food, shelter, and social organisation.

On Tuesday of Week 4 we celebrate Shrove Tuesday with our annual pancake morning. We would love some donations of pancake mix. Parent Information Night is on Wednesday the 7^th of February from 5.30 pm commencing in the hall and then heading to the 4V classroom. If you cannot attend, we are happy to send home the notes from the presentation. Any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Suzanne, Aleisha, Jessica and Danielle  

Year 5

Wow, is the only word to sum up our first week in Year 5. We have been so proud of the way the students are already raising the bar and aiming towards being the future leaders of our school. If this tone continues, we are in for an epic year. We spent our days establishing our Year 5 team expectations, because in Year 5 we are a team and will be engaging with students from across the cohort; working together towards success.  Our overarching theme is RESPECT, which kicked off with a dance to the classic Aretha Franklin song. This theme will be revisited continually throughout the term and further explored at our Emu Gully Leadership Day.

Over the course of the year, each teacher will get to know every child as Miss Packer teaches Religion, Mrs Mckay teaches Science and Miss Rosentreter teaches HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences). During our class discussions we have also discussed how we can be independent Lourdes Learners, working through the Learning Pit and how our learning will look, especially with flexible learning and reflective practices. If you have any queries, please come and see us.  

Initial Communication

Last week an email was forwarded home to all families with initial correspondence. If your email has changed, please update it with office staff at your earliest convenience, as all correspondence is sent via email.

Term 1 Dates

• Wednesday 31st January – Swimming Trials
• Tuesday 6th February – Safer Internet Day
• Wednesday 7th February -Parent Info Night 5.30pm
• Friday 9th February – Emu Gully; Catholic Swimming Carnival; Welcome BBQ
• Tuesday 13th February – Shrove Tuesday Pancake Morning; West Zone swimming
• Wednesday 14th February – Ash Wednesday 2pm; Love Library Day
• Thursday 15th February – Leadership Badge Assembly 2pm
• Friday 16th February – Friday Sport
• Friday 23rd February – Friday Sport
• Friday 1st March – Friday Sport
• Friday 8th March – Friday Sport
• Friday 15th March – St Patrick’s Day Free Dress
• Mon 18th – 22nd March – Swimming Week
• Wednesday 27th March – Cross Country
• Thursday 28th March – 11am Stations of the Cross and Last Day of Term

Emu Gully – Leadership Day

This year, as in previous years, our Year 5 cohort are partaking in the Emu Gully – The Challenge experience.   The Challenge is an exceptional leadership and team building program based on the character values of Courage, Mateship, Sacrifice and Perseverance. 

Information was sent out via Parent Portal earlier this week which contains what they need for the day. Permission must be given via the parent portal app.  

Some of these activities include water elements and students will become very dirty, so, it is highly recommended they wear old clothes (perhaps even ones you are happy to put straight in the bin).

Curriculum Outline – Term 1

English – Students have been revising their Sentence High 5, language features for narrative and persuasive text types, writing with a variety sentence types, and using a Grammar in Context table to help with planning, drafting and editing their work.

Maths – Short cycle learning will occur each term for students. Our first impact cycle this term focuses on the concepts of multiples, factors, rounding and estimation. This provides the perfect opportunity for students to start practising multiplication facts (timetables) learnt in Year 4. Practise makes PERMANENT!

Religion – Students have begun exploring the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Spirit. They have discovered that the Holy Spirit is an invisible influence gifted to us from God, that helps guide us to make positive choices. It was fabulous to see students making that connection of the Holy Spirit and its Fruits to being a Global Citizen.

Science – Students are exploring changes to the Earth’s surface, covering weathering, erosion, transportation and deposition. We have some fun experiments planned, to help consolidate the students’ understanding of how these changes can occur slowly or rapidly.

HASS – Summer provides the perfect opportunity to discuss some of the common natural disasters that occur in Australia. This term students will be examining the impact of natural disasters on people and the environment. They will need to evaluate resources, explain learnings, and propose responses to the disasters of bushfire and floods.

CANVAS

In the upper years, students will use the Learning Management System called CANVAS, to access content for most curriculum areas. This allows students to access their learning at school and at home. If your child is unable to attend school, this is how they will access learning content. We are still in the beginning stages, so students are still becoming proficient in accessing and using this learning platform. Once they are more confident, I am sure they would love to give you a tour and show you what they are learning.

Thanks for reading,

Jess, Emily, Sandra and Lisa   

Year 6

Welcome to 2024 and Year Six. We are very happy to share this final year of primary school with all students and families. We look forward to sharing details of this year at our upcoming Parent Information evening on Wednesday 7^th February. Our Yr 6 meeting will be held in the Yr. 6M classroom following Bridget’s address in the Hall at 5.30pm.

Executive functioning skills help form habits for life and in Year Six we are encouraging the use of timetables, term planners and assessment planners to help plan, organise and manage time. These are important skills to manage daily life and to set up success for future schooling. All students have received a copy of these organisers and are encouraged to display them for easy reference in their study space at home.

Year Six Expectations. As a cohort the students devised and agreed upon the following to set up our success as Learners and Global Citizens in 2024. Above all, we are focusing on our theme of Serviam – to serve.

Serviam

	Communicate respectfully to help others – be patient and confident.
	Act in the Serviam manner. Everyone is equal. We have a calm and safe environment.
	Look beyond ourselves. Be a Serviam role model.
	Listen to other points of view.
	Think – How can I solve this problem? How can I help?

Think Djokovic

Student voice: This week we asked Year Six about their learning so far. Students contributed that Yr 6 wasn’t proving to be as scary as they first thought, that they were enjoying their first week and looking forward to the learning challenges!!!!

Homework begins this Thursday February 1^st. Normally it will be uploaded each Friday and is to be completed by 8am the following Friday.  Spelling words will be tested each Friday.  As a rule, homework will consist of:  Reading - 15-30 minutes nightly (students can record what they’re reading on their spelling sheet) and several online activities including – Reading Eggs and Maths Online.  All programs are familiar to students who have previously attended OLOL and passwords should be recorded on Students’ One Drive Accounts.

If your child has trouble with homework tasks, please email class teachers so that they may assist them with a better understanding.  Online homework should not take any longer than 20-30 minutes each night to complete, plus 15-30 minutes of reading.  As per our school homework policy, parents of students who fail to complete ALL homework tasks by the end of each week will receive a courtesy email outlining unfinished tasks.  Three weeks of inconsistent completion of homework tasks will result in an interview with class teacher, principal/deputy, parents and student. 

During Semester One, sports uniforms should be worn each Tuesday and Friday.  Leadership Shirts and badges will be presented to students at our leadership assembly on Thursday 15^th February at 2:00pm in the Hall.

Library borrowing and teacher librarian lessons will be: Tuesdays beginning in Week 2.  Students must have a waterproof library bag if they wish to borrow resources.  We ask that all students borrow at least one fiction and one non-fiction book each week.  Remember, kids who read, succeed!

Date claimers

Week 2:

Friday 2 February: Excursion: Treetops Challenge. Arrival at school at 6:30 am for prompt departure at 7:00 am

Week 3:

Wednesday 7^th February: Parent information evening

Week 4:

Thursday 15^th February:  Leadership Assembly. All welcome. Yr 6 parents and carers are invited to join us for afternoon tea at the conclusion of assembly

Friday 16^th February: Interschool sport begins. A new format has been introduced. Students will depart school at 10:30am and compete in 2 games before returning to school at 2:45pm. It will run for 4 consecutive weeks beginning in Week 4.

Kylie, Shauna, and Steve

Childhood Anxiety

Childhood anxiety is one of most common difficulties affecting children. If your child is showing ongoing signs of anxiety, you can support them at home in the following ways:

• Encourage your child to talk about their feelings and let you know when they get overwhelmed. It might help to explain these feelings are common – we all feel worried or scared sometimes.
• If there is a particular situation your child finds challenging, support them to gradually do the thing that makes them anxious. For example, if going to a crowded shopping centre makes them anxious, start with short trips to the local shops, building up to visiting a shopping centre in a quiet period.
• Make a practical plan together for coping with anxious feelings in the future, such as breathing techniques or reassuring phrases to focus on.
• Take time out to have fun together and take the focus off feelings of anxiety.
• Help your child to have healthy routines that include enough good-quality sleep, regular outdoor exercise, eating well and avoiding excessive screen time.
• Prioritise your child attending school. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop important skills and knowledge to help them learn, as well as building their social and emotional skills.

If you are a parent or carer with anxiety, it is important to also care for your own mental health and seek help when you need it.

Useful resources

• The Brave Program: An interactive online program aimed at 8–12-year-olds to help them overcome worries and learn coping strategies.
• Fear-Less Triple P Online Course: A toolkit to help your child manage anxiety and become more emotionally resilient.
• Cool Kids Program: An interactive online program aimed at 7–12-year-olds to help them overcome anxiety and build confidence.
• The Beyond Blue Child Mental Health Checklist: A general tool to check your child’s symptoms and whether to get professional help.
• Kids Help Line: A free, confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people.
• Smiling Mind Kids Care Packages: A series of calming activities and audio recordings for children based on mindfulness meditation.
• Mental health and wellbeing toolkit: Advice to support student mental health and wellbeing, aimed at students, parents and caregivers, and schools.
• Parentline: A free phone counselling service where you can discuss parenting challenges and get support.

Key points to remember

• It’s normal for children to feel anxious, worried, or fearful some of the time.
• Anxiety can be hard to recognise in children, as the signs are varied and include common things such as tummy aches, recurrent headaches, tantrums, and difficulty sleeping.
• It’s time to seek help if your child has severe, frequent, or ongoing symptoms, and if they are avoiding daily activities and situations that provoke their anxiety.
• For help, discuss your child’s feelings and behaviour with their teacher, GP, or another health professional such as a nurse, paediatrician, counsellor or psychologist.
• Let your child’s teacher know if you feel that your child has anxiety that is having an ongoing negative impact on their ability to function at school and discuss whether it is appropriate to refer to the student support committee where your child may be referred for a few sessions with the guidance counsellor.

Sarah Jackman

School Counsellor

Upcoming Dates

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

2023 Swimming Carnival Results

Overall House - 1^st – Bradman - 455, 2^nd – Fraser – 317 - 3^rd Beetson - 306, 4^th – Goolagong – 228

Living Spirit Awards – Hunter (Grade 6) & Grace (Grade 5)

Individual Age Champions

9 Years Boys – Ty, Jose & Sam

9 Years Girls – Hayley, Beth & Bronte

10 Years Boys – Jake, Ben & Sam

10 Years Girls – Ashlee, Millie & Zoe

11 Years Boys – Hugh, Conor & Hunter

11 Years Girls – Mia, Mikayla & Grace

12 Years Boys – Blake, Thomas & Harry

12 Years Girls – Skye, Olivia & Jorja

Congratulations to Skye for breaking the 12 Girls 100m Backstroke. The new record is 1:17.04.

Thanks again to all who contributed, sponsors, staff, past students and recorders. It is greatly appreciated.

Cross Country Training

The Our Lady of Lourdes Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday 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.  These will be sent home with interested students.

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 2012, 2013 or 2014. 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 2024.  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.

Rachel.Wigan@twb.catholic.edu.au

Welcome to 2024. We have been so excited to meet so many new faces and say hello to all our returning students over the past few days. We are sure that 2024 will be an amazing year at Lourdes! 

Library Bags 

It is essential that books travel to and from school in a Library Bag or school satchel. This protects the books from moisture and being bent or squashed during transit. We do offer spare reusable bags and would appreciate you sending the bag back to us, whenever possible, so we can be sustainable global citizens. Remember that books do not like to be fed or to have a bath and they are quite wary of pets and baby siblings too. See the poster below for more Book Care advice.  

Borrowing Days 

Please ensure that students return all books each week so that other students and families may enjoy them. If there are any issues – water damage, rips or tears or other problems – please be kind enough to let us know via email, leave a note on the book or pop in and have a chat.  

The Importance of Reading

At Lourdes we really value the importance of reading at school and at home. Teachers borrow for their class Library and students are able to borrow each week. It is important that you keep up with your minutes of reading each day – especially when you are an independent reader. Did you know that one of the indicators for future academic success is free-choice reading for enjoyment. Make time in your family schedule to read each day. ? 

Parent Borrowing 

Did you know that as a parent you can borrow up to 10 additional items (excluding Home Readers) each week? You are most welcome to drop by and check out what we have on offer. 

Chess Lessons 

Notes regarding Chess Lessons have been sent out via the Portal. Lessons take place in the Library from 7:45am – 8:30am each Tuesday in Week 2 – 9 this term. Mr Lord is our instructor. Students must be signed up to attend as this is a PAID extra curriculum activity. Questions? Contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au  

Senior Fiction 

Students in Year 5 and 6 can access the Senior Fiction collection with permission from their parent/guardian. Notes for this have been sent via the Parent Portal. Please attend to this as soon as possible.  

Book Club 

Mrs Leathart and Mrs Monte look after Scholastic Book Club here at Lourdes. Brochures will come home twice a term. All orders result in points for the school and we reinvest these points to purchase class sets, book tubs, books and grant teacher requests. All orders must be placed via LOOP – no cash orders can be accepted. For all Book Club issues / queries please contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au  

Mrs Leathart, Mrs Monte and Mrs Kemp

Welcome back everyone. It is so lovely to see all of your beautiful little children's smiling faces again. 

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my husband and son very much for all of their help in the school gardens since I broke my ankle last year. I think you'll all agree that they're looking quite lovely.

Below is a photo of our baby Corymbia ficifolia gum, feeding some ants and a native bee. Magnificent.

Have a great term, and don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

Jo