Dear Families,

It is wonderful to have all our students back for the 2025 year. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our 75 prep students for 2025. For a bit of trivia, many of these children were born during the Covid 19 pandemic. I would also like to welcome the new families that have joined Lourdes in other year levels.

Change to Newsletter
This year there is a slight change to the newsletter and communication from our school and teachers.

Every even week, a newsletter will go to the community that contains information from myself, the school leadership team, and any information relevant to the whole community. This could include sport, extra-curricular activities, library, student protection, OHSC etc.

Every odd week, each year level will send home a ‘cohort newsletter’ with information/photos relevant to that year level.

We hope this new format ensures that all members of our school receive both whole school and year level related information in a timely and consistent way.

Before School Supervision
Supervision before school begins at 8.00 am. The supervised areas are:

Prep: prep playground

Years 1-4:  hall and backyard playground

Years 5-6: Holberton Street handball courts

Uniform
At our school gathering last Thursday, I spoke to the children of our theme for the year ‘We are a community’. Part of belonging to Lourdes is how we proudly wear our uniform. My message was that we wear our uniform the correct way – every day. This includes hair, shoes and earrings. Thank you for ensuring that your child/ren wears their uniform correctly each day.

School Advisory Council
The School Advisory Council is formed each year and serves the purpose of providing a crucial point of connection between the wider school community and school leadership. The OLOL SAC does not have governance responsibility or decision-making authority but supports me and the school leadership team. I am asking for expressions of interest for council members for this year. If you are interested, please email lourdes@twb.catholic.edu.au or call the school office to find out more information. Our first meeting is Tuesday February 11.

Animals on School Grounds
It is important to me that OLOL remains a safe place for all students. Please be aware that any animals being brought onto the school grounds, require prior permission. Please refrain from bringing dogs on site when dropping off/collecting children.

Growing Up Online – Parent Presentation by cyber safety expert Susan McLean – February 25
As a parent of 2 teenagers and 1 young adult, I am fully aware of the challenges parents face navigating parenting in a technology heavy world. In 2024, the P&F received a grant from Catholic School Parents Queensland. We have joined with Susan McLean from CyberSafety Solutions to work with our students in years 4-6 during the school day, followed by a parent presentation in the evening. Susan will speak to parents about the positive benefits of technology as well as what parents need to be aware of.

Please join us in the school hall at 6.00 pm for this presentation. (This presentation is not suitable for children.) You are welcome to bring parents from other schools to this night- they are very welcome.

Medication Update
As per the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Policy, if medication is required at a school level, parents are required to complete a new medical administration form each year. Forms can be collected from school admin.

I would like to finish my newsletter by thanking the parents and carers for preparing your children to return to school in such a positive way. It has been a very positive start to the school year.

Kind regards,

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

Teaching and Learning at Lourdes
Welcome back to another exciting school year. It is a joy to walk into school seeing warm welcoming smiles from staff, parents and students. Whist I enjoyed spending three terms last year on secondment at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office, it is great to be back at Lourdes. I am thrilled to start the year with you all.

This year we will continue to embed high expectations for learning and engagement. Our committed staff began the year with a week of professional development and learning. They spent time and effort preparing organised and vibrant learning spaces and our teachers have been working hard to create engaging and challenging units for our learners.

It is a wonderful feeling to walk around our welcoming environment with dedicated staff who aim to ensure our students feel they belong, are valued and can learn at Lourdes.

Our Why
If you joined us for our Parent Information evening this week, you would have heard us talking about our Why (our purpose), How (how we enact our purpose) and our What (our mission statement). At Lourdes, we firmly believe that education is a powerful influence on students; not only on their learning but also on how they see and act in the world.

The Lourdes Way
We enact our purpose through ‘Living the Lourdes Way’ which encapsulates our Charism Values and our Teaching & Learning Motto – We are CALLed to Think as a Learner and a Global Citizen. Our Charism Values are being introduced each term this year beginning with ‘We are a Community’, followed by ‘We are Courageous,’ ‘We are Kind’ and ‘We Serve.’

Lourdes Learner
Our Teaching & Learning motto is ‘We are CALLed to Think’ which is an acronym for how we Communicate, Act, Look, Listen and Think as both a learner and global citizen.

• Communicate: Effective communication is crucial for learning and life. We teach our learners to develop self-regulation skills and take responsibility for their learning by sharing their progress, discussing strategies, and asking questions. Students learn to express ideas to diverse audiences to communicate confidently and appropriately as global citizens. 

• Act: We encourage students to actively participate in their learning by engaging and persisting through challenges. Teachers provide opportunities for students to set goals, self-assess, and seek feedback. Additionally, we instil values, skills, and attitudes necessary for students to act as global citizens, advocating for social justice reflecting the Gospel message. 

• Look: Students are encouraged to track their progress and self-assess by looking for learning intentions and success criteria. As global citizens, we emphasize looking beyond personal interests to understand different perspectives and respect diverse cultures. 

• Listen: Our learners develop effective listening skills by paying attention to instructions, understanding others’ ideas, and valuing feedback. This helps build essential communication and language skills, crucial for literacy and learning. As global citizens, we emphasize listening to diverse viewpoints with compassion and empathy. 
     
• Think: Lourdes learners are encouraged to reflect on their learning, solve problems, and apply their knowledge to new contexts. We promote evaluating ideas, considering different perspectives, and making informed decisions by thinking globally and acting locally.                             

We are committed to providing an engaging and enriching environment where every student can thrive and develop a love of learning. Through the Lourdes Way and our focus on the Lourdes Learner, we aim to empower our students to become resilient and respectful critical thinkers who are confident learners for life.

Thank you for being a part of our community.  I encourage everyone to embrace the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Together, we can make 2025 a year of remarkable achievements and memorable experiences.

Thanks for reading

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Welcome to 2025
Welcome back to 2025. It has been great to be greeted with the many smiling faces of the students of OLOL, to hear their holiday news and to catch up with everyone as they begin their 2025 academic year. 

First Assembly
Our first Assembly is on this Thursday 6^th February, at 2:15 pm led by 2G – all are welcome to join us.  

Parish Mass to farewell Father Quinlan and welcome Father Jamie Collins and Deacon BJ Perrett
On Sunday 9^th February everyone is invited to a special Sunday Mass at 9:30 am to officially farewell Father Quinlan as he begins his long-awaited retirement. Father Jamie Collins and Deacon BJ Perrett will be welcomed at this Mass. This is the only Mass for this weekend, and it will be followed by a Parish Morning Tea in the OLOL School Hall. All are welcome. Please bring a plate to share if you are able. We have a small choir who will be singing on Sunday. Children are requested to wear their smart summer formal school uniform and to meet Mrs Moore and Mrs Rosier outside the church at 9:20 am before Mass starts. We also have some children helping as wait staff for the morning tea afterwards - we will see these children after Mass in the hall.

Beginning School Mass
Our Beginning of School Mass will be on Tuesday, 11th February at 10 am in the OLOL Hall.  It is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes – our school’s namesake. It is a day dedicated to the time when Our Lady – the mother of Jesus - appeared to St Bernadette at Lourdes in France. Our Lady asked St Bernadette to tell the world that “God is Love and He loves us as we are”.  

Our theme this year is guided by the first of our School’s Charism Values “We are a Community”

Father Quinlan and Father Jamie Collins will con-celebrate this special mass. It marks the end of Father Quinlan’s tenure and the beginning of Father Jamie’s time as the Our Lady of Lourdes Priest Administrator. We also welcome Deacon BJ Perrett who will be mentored by Father Jamie. All are welcome to join us.

Parish Mass Times
Please note there will be Mass time changes at Our Lady of Lourdes from Saturday 15^th February. Saturday night Mass will start at 6:30 pm and Sunday Morning will be at 9:45 am. There will be no 5:30 pm on Sundays. 

Welcome BBQ
On Friday 14^th February – it is our Welcome BBQ and Disco – 5:30pm – 8:00pm. Come along to meet our community.

Leadership Badge Assembly
In Week 4, the Year 6 students will receive their Leadership Badges at a special assembly on Thursday 20^th February, at 1:45 pm. 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.  Year 6 parents and students are invited to a light afternoon tea in the OLOL staffroom afterwards.

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
It is Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in Week 6. 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 4^th March. Donations can be sent 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 5^th March 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. 

Confirmation and First Eucharist Sacraments
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 due date has been extended to this Friday, 7^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 2025 is at 10:45 am on Sunday 23^rd February in the OLOL Church. 

God Bless and have a wonderful week!  

Cheers 

Janice
Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity (APMI)

Upcoming Dates

 Cross Country Training

The Our Lady of Lourdes Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday 2 April 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 7:20am.
• Please ensure that you walk your child to the meeting place and check them in with a staff member present.
• Following training, all students we will walk back to school as a group with supervising teachers.
• As part of the risk assessment process for Cross Country, 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 later in Term 1.

Representative Sport—Toowoomba School Sport & Darling Downs School Sport 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, 2014 or 2015. Strict nomination requirements apply, and it is at the sole discretion of the school to decide whether to nominate individual students. OLOL will also host trials for sports which have multiple students seeking to nominate to attend the TPSS or DDSS trials. All trials will be advertised by email to parents, during assembly, in PE lessons, and posted on the Sports Board outside the Hall.

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 2025.  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.

If your child would like to be considered for Zone, Toowoomba, or Darling Downs Team selection, please check your availability for ALL the trial dates and complete the

     *Please note that the dates below are subject to change.

OLOL/ St Ursula’s Netball Training and Teams

In 2025, OLOL will be offering a new and exciting Netball opportunity involving St Ursula’s experienced and accredited coaches and facilities. In Wks 4/5 (Monday 17 Feb & 24 Feb), St Ursula’s will be hosting Train/Trial Netball Coaching Clinics at St Ursulas’s from 3.30-5.00pm. Students born 2013 & 2014 are invited to attend with a team selected to then participate at a variety of carnivals in 2025 (if numbers permit, a second team will be selected). OLOL and St Ursula’s Netball coaches will continue to coach selected players throughout Terms 1-3.

If your child wishes to participate at the Coaching Clinics, please email me an expression of interest. Please note no experience is required.

Inter School Sport Information

In Week 1, Yr5/6 students selected their Inter School Sport preference for Term 1. Please note the following details with updated information to be provided following the Toowoomba School Sport Meeting on Tuesday Wk2.

Dates: Friday Weeks 3-8

Approx times:

• 12:00pm – Lunchtime
• 12:15pm – Bus departure
• 12:50-1.30pm – Round 1
• 1:35-2.15pm – Round 2
• 2:20pm Bus departure

Sports/Requirements:

• AFL – Mouthguard, OLOL sports uniform shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (OLOL AFL jersey provided)
• Girls Touch Football - OLOL sports uniform shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (OLOL Touch Football, shirt provided)
• Red Ball Tennis - OLOL sports uniform polo shirt and shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (tennis racquet provided if required).
• Softball - OLOL sports uniform polo shirt and shorts, water bottle, broad brimmed OLOL hat (glove and playing equipment provided if required).

Venues: – TBC

OLOL Swimming Trials

The OLOL Swimming Trials are being held today, Wednesday 5 February following a request for nominations. Students selected in the OLOL Swimming Teams to attend either or both the Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival and West Zone Trials, will be informed at the end of Week 2.

Concerns and Questions

If you have any future questions or concerns, always feel free to contact me. I am very keen to ensure the high level of communication previously delivered by Rachel continues and students are given every possible opportunity to play, enjoy, and learn in a friendly, safe, positive, and inclusive environment. Please note that I do not work at OLOL on Mondays except for occasional Sporting School lessons, however I am still available to be contacted to ensure I can support and assist in any way possible.

Richard

Richard Dugdale
PE Teacher

richard.dugdale2@twb.catholic.edu.au

Library News 

Welcome back from the library. As we embark on a year filled with reading adventures, we are excited to see your children dive into the wonderful world of books. Our library is ready to be a place of discovery, imagination, and learning. From thrilling stories to fascinating facts, we have a wide range of books that will captivate and inspire young minds. We look forward to partnering with you to foster a love of reading and to support your child's educational journey. Let's ‘Book an Adventure” in 2025. 

Reading for Enjoyment 

Reading for enjoyment in primary school is crucial for developing a lifelong love of learning. It helps children improve their literacy skills and expand their vocabulary while also enhancing their imagination and creativity. Additionally, reading for pleasure fosters empathy and emotional intelligence as children explore different perspectives and experiences through the stories they read. Each week your child/ren will bring home up to 6 books from our collection, please encourage them to read every day. Each year level will have slightly different expectations so be sure to check homework communication. Remember though – all reading is good reading! 

AccessIt 

AccessIt is our school library hub. Students will find the full library catalogue, eBooks, links to Britannica, Typing Tournament, Reading Eggs and lots more at: Library & Information Service Bookmark this page on all your family devices.  

Senior Fiction 

The aim of our Library is to build collections that encourage students to think critically. Therefore, the importance of free access to the widest possible range of resources, conveying the greatest number of human ideas and experiences, is important in order to meet the information needs of every student. Having said this though, we recognise and value the importance of a parent’s right to monitor their child’s reading.   
 
There are a number of titles in the library that are marked ‘Senior Fiction’ and are available for students in Years 5 and 6 to borrow. These books are for the older reader and include adolescent themes such as: mental illness, loss, terminal illness, growing up/sexuality, first romance, mature themes (i.e. prejudice and language choices), and so forth.   

As these books are restricted to Year 5s and 6s permission is required. Please indicate your preference regarding access to the Senior Fiction collection in 2025, via the portal by February 12th 2025. 

Parent Borrowing 

Families are welcome to borrow up to 10 additional items at a time. We are available for loans from 8am – 8:30am Monday to Friday or 3pm – 3:10pm Monday to Thursday.  

Library at Breaks 

We are open at first break everyday and second break on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students can read, draw, colour, play chess or other quiet games or create with Lego. If you have any Lego that is surplus to your needs please drop it into the library, our keen creators will put it to good use. We endeavour to provide a quiet, safe space at breaks for our visitors to enjoy.  

Chess 

Chess Lessons with Mr Les Lord commence on 4th February 2025 for students in Years 1-6.  Mr Lord teaches and coaches students through game play during these sessions and Mrs Leathart supervises. The aim of these sessions is to build students' knowledge and skill in the game of chess.  

When: Tuesday from Week 2 – 9 (8 Lessons) 
Time: 7:45am - 8:30am 
Where: Lourdes Library 
Cost: $68 ($8.50 per lesson) 

Please give permission via the Portal and be quick. Places are strictly limited and the portal will be closed once allocated places are full.  

Book Club 

Issue 1 brochures were sent to classes last week. All orders are to be placed via LOOP. Every order earns points for our school and we use these points to purchase books and other fun goodies for the children to use. Please email queries about Book Club to Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Orders Due: February 12th 

https://issuu.com/scholastic_australia/docs/bc_1-25_issuu  

Happy Reading! Mrs Leathart, Mrs Monte and Mrs Kemp. 

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

Welcome back to 2025.

Thanks to all who supported our first tuck shop last Friday.

Please remember orders need to be in by Wednesday night at 5:00pm (due to Daylight savings) (that’s tonight!) for the following Friday.

Also, please be mindful that we have altered our break times in an attempt to avoid the hottest part of the day and to make sure our tummies are well fed for maximum learning.

First Break is now the longest break – 10:30am – 11:10am

Second Break is 1:10pm – 1:35pm

Children’s orders need to reflect this change in break times – a smaller order for second break.

As a heads up there is no Tuckshop for Friday 14th February 2025.

If you available to help in the Tuckshop please contact Mrs. Vanderplas (kate.vanderplas@twb.catholic.edu.au) and she will add you to the roster. Unfortunately, no small children are allowed to be in the Tuckshop during serving days.