OLR News Week 6 2023
Principal's Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
Over the past three weeks we have been holding Learning Adjustment Meetings and this past week we held our Goal Setting Meetings. These meetings take up a substantial amount of time and they are worth every minute we give to them.
I have felt especially privileged to have been able to join most of these meetings. I love having the opportunity to learn about your children and developing ways to support and enhance their learning.
One of the things I truly believe is that our children learn best when they are well supported so when Teachers, Parents and Carers work together what our children can achieve is far greater.
Thank you for the time you gave to these meetings, they truly are a reflection of all we want for our children.
It was also an honour to reconnect with the Kinder parents. I’m so excited to be part of the journey you and your children have embarked upon and look forward to getting to know you all.
I love my job and have since the first moment I stepped into a classroom many, many years ago and this is because of the children and families I have had the honour and privilege to teach and interact with.
May God bless you all
Yvette Owens
Religious Education Update
We are now in the second week of Lent. We encourage you to take a few moments as a family to reflect on how you are preparing during this Lenten Season for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is an exciting time in Kinder and Year 1 as they are experiencing the new Religious Education Curriculum being introduced to CSBB schools!
The new curriculum provides students with the opportunity to come to know the teachings of Jesus through a variety of experiences. One of these is the use of Godly Play figurines. Last Friday, a group of parents and grandparents joined us for the morning to help paint these figurines. There are also parents at the moment who are sewing cloths that will be used on class Sacred Spaces. A sincere thank you is given to all who are helping with these things. It is very much appreciated.
Please keep in your prayers the children and their families who have begun their preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The first preparation session was held this week in the Parish Centre. It was lovely to see the children and their families spending this special time together.
Over this week and next, Father Brian and Tan, the 4th year seminarian who is with our Parish for this year, are visiting all classes to say hello and have a chat with the students. We are very grateful for the close relationship we have with our clergy.
Upcoming Liturgical Celebrations
Tuesday March 7th – Years 5 & 6 Grade Mass 10am at school
Friday March 17th – Feast of St Joseph Whole School Liturgy 9am in Courtyard
Tuesday March 21st – Years 3 & 4 Grade Mass 10am at school
Tuesday March 28th – Year 2 Grade Mass 10am at school
Monday April 3rd – Palm Sunday Whole School Liturgy 9am in Courtyard
Tuesday April 4th – Year 1 Grade Mass 10am at school
Thursday April 6th – Holy Week Whole School Liturgy 9am in Courtyard
Families are most welcome to join us for these celebrations.
A sincere thank you to the mums and Nana Di who joined us for a morning of painting and sewing resources that will be used in classrooms for Religious Education lessons! We had a lovely morning!
Parent Engagement Coordinator (PEC) Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been an enjoyable start to my role as Parent Engagement Coordinator meeting many parents at the School Mass on Friday 17 February and at the Reconciliation enrolment night on Wednesday 15 February at the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Centre. I look forward to connecting with parents and students at the Reconciliation preparation lessons over the next few weeks.
A little bit of information about the role of the Parent Engagement Coordinator; It is a brand-new role to support the Catholic Schools Broken Bay Towards 2025 strategy. The Parent Engagement Coordinator (PEC) role is to support the school community as Catholic Schools Broken Bay implement strategies to strengthen relationships between parents/carers, the school and wider parish community. In practice, the PEC will facilitate, coordinate, and communicate with parents/carers to encounter, and engage with, the wider school and parish community, with a focus on wellbeing and learning for all students and families.
For those that are yet to meet me, you can usually find me at the front gate on most Wednesdays and Thursday mornings welcoming students and families to school. Please make yourself known to me if you are dropping off your children.
For those that may not know, I also work with Fr Brian at Our Lady of the Rosary parish office at The Entrance, so if you have any questions in relation to the Sacramental programme, including Baptism, please feel free reach out to me to either make an appointment or to ask a question. (There is no such thing as a silly question).
I have included a flyer with the dates of the Sacramental Programme for 2023 in this newsletter for you to download and add to your personal calendar for future planning. Students in year 4 and above, will prepare and receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion (Eucharist). For students in year 3, they will prepare and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please refer to the attached programme for more information about these Sacraments or feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
For families that would like their child/ren Baptised or would like more information about Baptism please feel free to contact me. We understand that COVID prevented many families from having their child/ren Baptised so now is the time to consider this Sacrament, especially if your children are in year 2 and below so they don’t miss out on receiving the other Sacraments of initiation as they move into year 3.
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP) provide an informative newsletter called Parent Talk. These newsletters are packed with news, invitations to webinars, surveys and more. They cover topics from Kindergarten to Year 12. In this edition, there is an invitation to Justin Coulson’s webinar on 29 March on the topic of anxiety and resilience. Be sure to register to attend this event online. There are many other articles on bedtime routines for children with Autism and ADHD, information about Lent and NSW Family Vouchers. Click on the link Parent Talk to view. You can also follow the CCSP on Facebook.
Colleen Smith
PBL - Positive Behaviours For Learning
Students have been learning this week about using safe and caring actions. Our wonderful PBL girls went down to both kindergarten and year 1 to teach their PBL lesson. Students learnt about the importance of having safe and caring hands and the importance of speaking up when someone is not being safe.
We have been lucky enough to have some new students join our PBL team this week. Welcome to Ivy, Abby, Millie and Willow. Our PBL team have also been helping out the kindergarten students during playtime by assisting teachers on duty, setting up and facilitating games.
In other PBL news Petey Bobby Lewis is getting closer to his new home. We will announce the PBL class of the week at Monday morning assembly.
Canteen News
Tips & Tricks!
The start of a new year is always a great time to share a few reminders for parents when placing lunch orders through Qkr!
The cut off for Qkr! Online orders is 9am.
Make sure you have updated and have the correct class for your child.
Please ensure you order for the correct day, check the date of the order not the payment.
Remind your child they need to come to the canteen to collect their ice blocks, after they have eaten their lunch. Although the iceblocks are ordered online we don't send these out with the rest of the lunch orders.
Nuggets are sold in 4, 6 and 8 packs.
New Product Alert!
We will be offering a new pizza on the lunch menu from next week, it’s a called pizza wrap!
The two new flavours will be BBQ Chicken and Cheese and will be $4.00.
Amber Trench
Canteen Coordinator
PCN News
This Monday 6th March at 7.00pm at the school, we will be facilitating a “Welcome to 2023 – Reset, Refocus, Reconnect PCN" meeting. There will be cheese and wine! Come along and help us make 2023 the best year year for the PCN.
We have some exciting news for the Parent Community Network. 2023 is our year for focus on enhancing our parent, carer and community engagement. We are excited to align ourselves with the Catholic School of Broken Bay’s vision of authentic networks, delivered with care and compassion.
Our new approach is based on the three core principles:
Reset
Recalibrating our existing structure and approach
Refocus
Developing a refreshed parent and community network
Reconnect
Enhancing opportunities for ongoing interaction between our families, our kids and the school.
Please register your attendanc Here.
Zoom link and agenda to follow.
Hope to see you all on Monday 6th March 2023 and look forward to engaging further with you all over 2023.
Around the Grounds
Self Portraits
2 Gold thoroughly enjoyed studying their features and learning how to draw a self portrait. Each child was asked to bring in a small mirror so they could study their face as they drew their portrait. We are also learning and sharing how we are all special children of God and unique in our own way.
As you can see we have some very talented artists emerging!
What do you think of our portraits?
In The Loop
Wellbeing Week
In Week 7 of this term, we will be celebrating Wellbeing Week. Throughout the week, all classes will participate in activities designed to promote positive wellbeing. The theme for Wellbeing Week will be “We All Belong”. This is also the theme of Harmony Week which is held annually across Australia from Monday March 20th until Sunday March 26th. Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Orange is the symbolic colour for Harmony Week.
To conclude Wellbeing Week and to celebrate Harmony Week, on Friday March 17th, students are invited to wear orange mufti clothes to school and bring food for their lunch that is reflective of their cultural heritage. We will be having a whole school picnic on the oval beginning at 1:30pm. The OLR Dance Troupe will also be performing at the picnic. All families are most welcome to join us for the picnic.
From the office:
Updating Home Address
If you recently moved house we ask that you please contact the office provide us with your new address so we can update our records.
Request for Medication to be Administered at School
If your child needs to have ANY medication at school (prescription, over the counter, puffers, cream, Panadol etc) you will need to do the following:
- The attached form needs to be signed and stamped by the doctor/pharmacist
- The medication needs to be brought into school, with this completed form, in the original packaging.
Children are not to have medication of any sort in their school bag.
Open Day 14th March 2023!
Expressions of Interest – Kinder 2024:
I know it’s hard to believe but we are about to begin the enrolment period for Kinder 2024. If you have a younger child that is due to start school next year, can you please click on the link below and complete the Expression of Interest Form.
https://forms.office.com/r/qm5RzkQc9z
Kinder 2024 – New families: Open Day Tuesday 14th March 2023!
If you know a family who does not currently have students at OLR, please share the attached flyer with them and ask them to like our Facebook page.
CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay is seeking volunteers on the Central Coast for our federally funded Community Visitors Scheme.
As a volunteer, you will visit seniors in a local aged care facility or in their home and help improve their quality of life. Affectionately referred to as CatholicCare’s ‘friendship program’, you will build new connections and positive relationships with someone who will greatly appreciate your company. Our volunteers have flexibility to choose a day and time that suits them, we just ask for a commitment of at least one hour per fortnight.
If you can help, please contact Nicki on 0418 4.35 304 or visit www.catholiccaredbb.org.au/volunteer. Our local volunteers love supporting this program!
SWAP IT EVERYDAY IN THE LUNCHBOX:
This week's tip! Simple Sweet Swaps
Download the flyer for more handy hints on how you can make your child's lunchbox healthier.
Key Dates
Week 6 (6th-10th March)
Monday 6th March - K-2 Assembly Awards
Tuesday 7th March - Years 5 & 6 Grade Mass in Hall
Thursday 9th March - A day in the life at St Edward's
Sacrament of Reconciliation Preparation Session Two at Parish Centre, The Entrance @ 4pm
Week 7 (13th-17th March) WELLBEING WEEK
Monday 13th March - 3-6 Assembly Awards
Tuesday 14th March - Open Day Session 9.30am and 6pm
Broken Bay Swimming Carnival
Wednesday 15th - NAPLAN Begins
Friday 17th - Wellbeing/ Harmony Week Picnic @ 1.30pm. Students invited to wear orange mufti.