Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week. This is always a time to reflect on the important purpose of Catholic education and our role in shaping the hearts and minds of the young people in our care.  

Regardless of one’s own faith journey, we are a community that upholds the values of enabling full and flourishing lives as well as high standards for academic success. As staff, we are called to support and model the Catholic faith and values. 

In today’s ever-changing world, where technological advancements, global challenges, and cultural shifts seem to shape our lives, it is crucial we equip our children with the right tools, including the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, to thrive in this dynamic landscape.

Not only do we build essential skills such as confidence, perseverance, resilience, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and emotional intelligence in our students, we also aim to foster the importance of the life-giving Gospel message and the dignity of the human person. Here at Lourdes, we Communicate, Act, Look, Listen, and Think as a Lourdes Learner and a Global Citizen - we are CALLed to Think and this is done with a Catholic lens. This is the value of our Catholic education.

Congratulations 

Each year for Catholic Education Week, we acknowledge the commitment of staff who have given over twenty years of service to Catholic education. In celebrating their efforts and commitment, these staff are presented with an award. Congratulations go to Danielle Leathart (Teacher Librarian) and Amanda Holzheimer (Drama Teacher) for 20 years of service and Kath Golightly (Relief Teacher) for 25 years of service. A very worthy achievement! 

Loving the Arts at Lourdes 

In Week 7 of term, we will celebrate the Arts. All are invited to our Twilight Art Exhibition on Tuesday 22 August from 5:00 pm. Along with the exhibited student artwork, there will be choir and drama performances.  If there are any artists in our community who would like to donate and auction off one of their pieces of art for the benefit of the school, please let me know. Likewise, if there are any artists who would like to have a stall and interact with attendees, please let me know.  

Parking 

Please be mindful of our neighbours. Be careful not to cross or queue across driveways and do not park on footpaths in the surrounding streets. This is a highly dangerous practice and is an offense. Children are unpredictable and are not used to avoiding moving vehicles on footpaths. The safety of our children is paramount, so please drive slowly and park in appropriate areas, even if it involves a bit of a walk.  

Attendance 

Some school absences are unavoidable. Kids get sick, or there may be a family emergency or other important reason for missing school. But parents may not always realize how much school their child is missing. It is vital students are at school, so students are not at a disadvantage by missing out on quality teaching and learning and are able to complete assessments. 

This also applies to late arrivals. Teachers use the first part of the day to settle the children for learning and ensure everyone has what they need. Repeated late comers disrupt this important routine. Not only does the child who arrives late miss out on important information, so too do other children due to the teacher having to stop and wait for any late comers to organize what other students did prior to the commencement of class. This disrupts the lesson, other students, and routines.  

Your support and cooperation in ensuring your children are at school with plenty of time to prepare for the day is a common courtesy and sets students up for success. 

Creating a Culture of Kindness: Be the Change

Our school is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for everyone. A positive learning experience is essential. Thus, it is our collective responsibility to create an environment that promotes kindness, empathy, and understanding. 

We know that behaviour is communication. At school, we do experience positive and negative behaviours whether they be verbal or not. Negative incidents such as name calling and teasing can escalate as parties attempt to have the last word in an argument. Rumours and gossip at times cause hurt, and we do our best to address this and check all facts. However, parents and staff, have been guilty of not checking all the facts or listening to all perspectives. People, young and old, love a story. Whether or not the facts are true often does not matter as much as sharing the story with whoever will listen. This can and does cause people great harm. All of us have a responsibility not to participate in tearing down someone else’s reputation. 

Bullying is an aggressive and intentional behaviour where one person seeks to harm, intimidate, or control another person who feels unable to defend themselves. It can be insidious and is always destructive. Too often it goes unreported. Far too often, teachers only hear of it after a long period of time has passed and as a result, it is very difficult to resolve the issue. Most disagreements and perceived relationship issues can be resolved if those who can make a difference are informed. It is always better to deal with issues before they go too far.  

Here at OLOL, we urge students in the first instance to be resilient. Sometimes life and people are not always fair, and we get on with our life regardless. However, if a pattern develops, the next skill needed is to be assertive. To learn to say, calmly and directly, “There is no hate here mate. Stop, I don’t like that, give it a break!” If the perpetrators continue, the inappropriate behaviour needs to be reported. Please encourage your child to speak up and share their concerns.

Parents too, should reach out to teachers or the leadership team with concerns. Please do not turn to social media or one another to make accusatory comments that are detrimental to our culture and community. Everyone needs to expect respect. This is at the core of our school culture. 

As members of Our Lady of Lourdes, we all have the power to create a culture of kindness and inclusion. Simple acts of kindness, understanding, and friendship can have a profound impact on someone's life. Let us all lead by example and be the change we wish to see in the world. 

Thanks for reading.

Miranda

Ms Miranda Murray
Acting Principal

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