Dear Families,

I hope all mothers and carers in our community had a lovely Mother’s Day on Sunday. Thank you to all members of our community who joined us for Mother’s Day celebrations at school on Thursday.

Uniform
Our students looked so smart when they arrived in their winter uniform on Monday. A reminder to wear the uniform in its entirety. Thank you also to our families for ensuring that children are wearing only black or white sports shoes.

Leadership Forum
During Week 5, May 19-22, I will be in Goondiwindi at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum. I am very much looking forward to the learning and growth that occurs during this week with our principals and the executive from TCS. During this time, Mrs Janice Moore will be deputising.

School Choir
I am very proud of our young students who have been rehearsing with Mrs Ebony Rosier before school on a Wednesday morning, forming the OLOL Choir. This Friday evening, they have their inaugural Toowoomba Eisteddfod performance. Good luck to the students and staff involved.

Pope's Message
In his first address, our newly appointed Pope Leo XIV, shared with us all a powerful and timeless message: “Peace be with you”. These were also the first words after Jesus’s resurrection, spoken to His Disciples. The Pope echoes this sacred moment, reminding us all to embrace unity, reconciliation, and kindness in our daily lives and in a world that deeply needs it. This resonates for us at Lourdes, with our core values being kindness, courage, service, and community.

P&F News

School Race Day
A very big congratulations to our P&F and Race Day committee for the money raised at our school race day. The final figure was $20 000. Thank you to all in our community who supported in any way. This money will go towards the building of a shed on the new oval.

Tennis Court
A decision was made at the recent P&F meeting, to repair the tennis court and fence. This is fantastic news for our school. Once the tennis court is repaired to full use and 8a Ascot Street space is opened, this will provide a wonderful sports and play space for our students.

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

We are Corageous

This term, our school community is embracing the value 'We are Courageous' through weekly awards, and teaching and learning activities that connect courage to the Catholic Social Teaching of Subsidiarity and Participation. Across all classrooms, teachers have been leading meaningful conversations with students about what it truly means to be courageous and how we can each play an active role in our society.

At Lourdes, we believe in the power of goal-setting and celebrating achievements. When students set personal and learning goals, they grow in confidence and develop a positive mindset. Courage means being willing to face challenges, take risks, and learn from mistakes—important steps in building resilience and a growth mindset.

We also celebrate the uniqueness of every individual, knowing that each person is wonderfully made in the image of God. Valuing our differences helps us appreciate the diverse gifts and contributions each member of our community brings.

It takes courage to make your voice heard, especially when facing new or difficult situations. Whether it's speaking up, sharing ideas, or standing up for others, we teach our students that being brave often means taking action even when it's not easy.

Being courageous also means being self-aware, asking for help when needed, and confidently using the resources available to support our wellbeing and learning. We hope all families liked receiving their ‘Be Safe, Follow the Five’ magnet – one of our many resources to help our students.

Courage is also shown when we choose to serve others. Offering help, sharing what we have, and making sacrifices for the good of someone else, are powerful examples of brave and compassionate action.

Ultimately, courage is the strength that enables each of us to act with confidence, kindness, and integrity. It helps create a community where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference.

ICAS Testing

Within our school community, there are students who shine brightly displaying exemplary dedication and academic talent. They deserve to be recognised and this year we are giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition.

What is ICAS? 
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.

ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful, and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey. Learn more about ICAS here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/).

ICAS results and certificate
Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals. Your child’s ICAS certificates will show their results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. - Use these to enter the Results Portal (https://orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent).

How to participate in ICAS 
If your child is in Years 4- 6 and you wish for them to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects.

You can do this in one of two ways:

1. Direct login link – faster!

Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering:

https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/VRM716

2. Log in using the PPS code

Visit our shop and use our PPS code to log in:

Shop link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

PPS code: VRM716

Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm

This year, students in Years 4- 6 can elect to sit the following assessments:

Please note, we cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.

Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Schools-TsCs_S2023.V6-1.pdf).

Have a go using practice tests:

https://www.icasassessments.com/icas-preparation-tools/

We are proud to be offering ICAS to our students this year and encourage you to consider entering your child.

Privacy collection statement

You can view the ICAS full privacy policy at https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Courage Day

We thank 3F for initiating our Courage Day. Our classes have been involved in discovering what it means to be courageous, which continues through the term. One of Our Lady of Lourdes' values is 'We are Courageous'. We take our inspiration from St. Bernadette who was true to her faith, never wavering from sharing the message that Our Lady – Mary, the mother of Jesus asked St Bernadette - to tell the world that “God is Love and He loves us as we are." 

Mothers Day Mass

We celebrated our annual OLOL Mother’s Day Mass last Thursday in the OLOL School Hall. The hall was filled to capacity with our special Mums and Grandmothers. We thank Father Jamie and Deacon BJ for leading our Mass. It was special to share morning tea with our Mothers/Grandmothers afterwards. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny morning and we hope all Mums, Grandmas, Nanas, and special ladies, who are like Mothers to us, had a lovely day last Sunday.  We thank all those who sent in a photo for our Mother's Day PowerPoint. – It was a beauty with lots of photos!!!

We caught a few happy snaps of our Mums and their children.

New Pope

We heard on the World News last week that a new Pope was elected by the Papal Conclave of Cardinals. We welcome Pope Leo XIV to lead our Catholic Church.

Confirmation and First Eucharist

Our Confirmation candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation last night - Tuesday 13^th May at 7 pm. We thank Bishop Ken for blessing our candidates. We thank the parents and the parish sacramental team for preparing the candidates for this sacrament. We also take time to remember a special member of our Sacramental Preparation Team - Robie Jayawardhana who passed away suddenly on 7^th May. Robie gave of his time to set up our data-gathering systems and shared his faith during the preparation time of our sacramental candidates. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Bernadette and his family.

First Eucharist is at 11:30 am this Sunday 18th May (short practise on Thursday 15^th  May 3:30 pm in the church). If you have any questions or concerns please contact the OLOL parish office on 46 341453 or email ourladyoflourdesparish@twb.catholic.org.au  Please note OLOL Parish Office Hours are 9am - 1pm Monday to Friday. 

Piety Stall - Confirmation/First Communion

Looking for a gift for children making their sacraments?  The piety stall at the OLOL Church has various items.  Contact the office weekdays 9am-1pm.  * Cards * Frames * Rosary Beads * Chains/Bracelets *other gifts.

Assembly

This week’s assembly will be led by Year 2B at 2:15pm in the school hall.

Week 5’s assembly will be led by 3C.

Grandparents Day

In Term 3 Week 3 we celebrate Catholic Education Week. On Tuesday 29^th July we will be having a special Grandparents Day Prayer Assembly led by Year 2 at 9:30 am, followed by activity time in the classrooms, then morning tea at 10:30 am. Could families please ask their grandparents to mark this date in their diaries. If families could organise one photo of their grandparents for a photostory powerpoint and email it to Mrs Moore - Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au  by 3 pm  Wednesday 23^rd July.  Please label your photo – Family Name Grandparents Day. Please note - late photos run the risk of not being included.

If anyone is available to help organise the morning tea on that day – please contact Mrs Moore. An RSVP will be requested closer to the date.

Have a great week.

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity

(APMI)

Upcoming Dates

Congratulations & Well Done

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected in West Zone, Toowoomba Zones, or DDSS teams:

• Matthew Denny – DDSS Hockey
• Aida Rogers – DDSS U11 Netball
• Millicent Budden & Hayley Harch – Toowoomba Zone Touch Football
• Millicent Budden, Emmie Budden, Hudson Blackburn, Cooper Blackburn, Charlotte Watson, Evelyn Erbacher, Cassidy Mahaffey – West Zone Cross Country
• All members of the OLOL Cross Country who attended the West Zone Cross Country Trials. Special mention to Millicent Budden (1^st U12 Girls), Myley Bengston (2^nd U11 Girls) & Emmie Budden (3^rd U10) on their Top 3 placings.

OLOL P-6 Cross Country (rescheduled)

Date:     Wednesday 14 May

Venue: Newtown Park

Travel: Students will walk to and from Newtown Park in class groups.

Event Timetable & Formats

9:00am Prep - Grade 2 Fun Run

10:00am Grade 3-6 Competitive Cross-Country Event

Athletics Preparation Sessions

To assist with the Athletics Carnival preparation and improve student’s athletic skills, we will be hosting preparation sessions for Yr3-6 classes in Week’s 2-5 at Newtown Oval and on the OLOL Oval. Dates are as follows:

Weeks 2 & 4 – Year 5-6                   

Weeks 3 & 5 – Year 3-4

Students will be required to wear their school sport uniform and bring a hat and water bottle. Please note these sessions are 2hrs in duration including the teacher supervised walk to and from Newtown Park.

OLOL Athletics Carnival

The full OLOL Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 3 June at O’Quinn St Oval. Please note the initial details below regarding the Carnival schedule, age groupings and event eligibility. Full carnival details will be forwarded in the upcoming weeks.

2025 Schedule of Events

* See schedule of events below.

Age-Group Divisions

All students will be issued with a name sticker that states their name and year of birth.  Age group coordinators will provide students with their sticker when they check in at O’Quinn Street. This will greatly assist staff in ensuring all students are where they should be and competing in the correct 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:

Event Eligibility & Nomination

OLOL Netball

Best wishes to the OLOL Netball team that will attend the Queensland Cup Primary Schools Carnival in Wk5 (Mon 19 May) at Downey Park Netball Courts in Brisbane.

Training for the team every Monday after this Carnival (starting 26 May) as the team works towards the Catholic Education Carnival on Thursday 31 July.

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, 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, on assembly and in PE lessons, and posted on the Sports Board outside the Hall. The trials listed below are either yet to be advertised or have been advertised and the nomination window is still open.

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

Concerns and Questions

If you have any future questions or concerns, always feel free to contact me. I am very keen to ensure we maintain a high level of communication and give every possible opportunity for students 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

Read More in May!

I was recently forwarded an article titled “10 ways to turn your child into a devoted bookworm” and thought that it might be of interest to many of you as we focus on Reading More in May. Laura Bunting is a children’s book author with over 20 published picture books and early fiction titles. The article explores the concept of Hook Books and discusses the importance of home readers. Home readers, especially decodable home readers, are designed to step readers through the reading process in a very specific way. Their goal is “not artful storytelling but teaching the relevant sounds in a specific order”. Bunting suggests that home readers are the training wheels of reading – boring but eventually they take you to a more exciting place. To keep the joy of reading alive and to give every child a chance to blossom into a bookworm she suggests the following 10 tips.

Grab a bag – a big one – and take it to your local library and let your child fill it with ‘their choice books’. Remember you can borrow an extra 10 books from our school library anytime.

Save your opinions – for now! As long as the book is age appropriate its OK. The goal here is for reading to be enjoyable.

Don’t expect it to happen on its own – it takes work to make it habit. Not sure where to start with suggestions try “Your kids next read Facebook group”. It is run by Allison Rushby, Megan Daley and Allison Tate and there is never any shortage of responses to questions about books.

Location Location! – encourage them to read a book everywhere! Under the covers with a torch, on a picnic blanket in the backyard, on the trampoline, in the car, waiting at the doctor’s office – anywhere!!

Model It – don’t expect your kids to think it’s a great idea to sit and read if they never see you doing it. There is also a Facebook group called “Your next read!” Check it out.

Use your ears – put on an audio book in the car and listen to a great book. Wheelers (available for all students at Lourdes) have many great titles to listen to for FREE!

Keep Reading Aloud – this allows children to digest books with content they may struggle with on their own. It offers opportunities to talk about words they don’t understand. It helps them to share the cognitive load of reading. And you get to spend time together – bonus!

Add fun to the functional – during the learn to read process encourage your child with as much enthusiasm as you can to read those home readers and supplement those books with the most fun engaging reads. Show them what awaits them once they can read independently.

Fact or Fiction? – It does not matter. Non-fiction reads can be a great way to get students interested in Fiction.  

Reluctant vs Struggling Reader – there is a difference between these two! If your child is struggling to read, keep going. Read aloud. Read together. Read audiobooks. Read anywhere. Read everywhere. Read about what they love. Read the readers too.  And reach out to your child’s teacher if you need more support.

Book Fair

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and supported Book Fair. It was so wonderful to see so many happy faces leaving with a new book to read. Congratulations to our Guess the pages in the book competition winners! We hope you enjoyed your prizes. We expect reordered items to arrive by the end of next week.

Read More Challenge Reminder

We hope that you are all busily reading at home each day. We have had many keen borrowers through the library looking for great books to finish to add to their form.

Reminder: What do you need to do?

1. Get an entry form – from school or print your own below
2. Read each day in May and colour in a picture for each day you read
3. Write the title, author and page numbers of each of the books you finish
4. Parents, please sign the form when it is time to return it – forms are due by June 3^rd
5. Return your form to your class teacher or to Mrs Leathart in the Library

All students who return their form will be entered in the DRAW to win a $25 Book Voucher!

All students who return their filled in form will receive a participation certificate. Parents, if your child needs more to read, please drop by and loan an additional 10 items for your family. Opening times are outlined below.

We are really looking forward to our Author Visits this week. For more information about each author please visit their websites below.

Cristy Burne May 15^th Keynote Creativity Speaker Cristy Burne | Cristy Burne

Kylie Howarth May 15^thKylie Howarth

Gabriel Evans May 13^thGabriel Evans – Picture Book Author and Illustrator

We are so looking forward to using what we learn from published authors in our own writing and creative processes.  

National Simultaneous Storytime - May 21^st

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an annual event organized by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Each year, a picture book by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, and homes across the country to promote the value of reading and literacy. The event aims to engage children and communities in a fun and educational shared reading experience. This year we will be sharing ‘The Truck Cat’ by Deborah Frenkel.

Important Links:

AccessIt https://au.accessit.online/ORL13.

Wheelers eBooks Wheelers eBooks

Library Opening Times

Chess

Chess Lessons are back in full swing from 7:45am until 8:30am each Tuesday morning. Students must have parental permission to attend this activity as this is a paid extracurricular activity. If your child is interested but you missed the cut off via Sentral please contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Book Club

Issue 2 Orders have been delivered. Due to Book Fair, we will not be running Issue 3.  Please email queries about Book Club to Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

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

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte

School Transport Information

Green Ball Tennis Fixtures

St Saviour's Girl for a Morning