OLR News Term 1 Week 6 2024
Principal's Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am delighted to report that the concrete pour for the new school building went smoothly on Wednesday. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our construction team, the foundation for our new building is now in place. This progress brings us one step closer to providing our students with a state-of-the-art learning environment that will support their growth and development for years to come.
Friday was International Women's Day, I want to take this opportunity to encourage our young girls to dream big and pursue their passions fearlessly. This day is a reminder of the incredible achievements of women throughout history and a call to action for gender equality. This year’s theme is Inspire Inclusion. Let us empower our girls to break barriers, challenge stereotypes, and strive for greatness in all areas of their lives. Together, we can create a future where every girl feels valued, supported, and limitless in her potential.
Easter Hat Parade and Annual Easter Raffle Monday 25th March 10am
This year we will once again do an Easter Hat Parade and our Annual Easter Raffle which will raise funds for Project Compassion and St Vincent de Paul.
Both events will be held on the school oval on Monday 25th March at 10am. This is a whole school event with K-6 participating in the hat parade.
Easter Hat Parade
The children will be making the hats at school the week prior, in week 7.
Could you please ensure that your child brings a hat and the items necessary to decorate it by Monday 18th March.
A few suggestions are:
coloured paper, ribbons, small plastic Easter eggs, stickers, small toy chickens, bunny ears, cellophane, crepe paper, feathers.
Please don’t send any chocolate decorations as they tend to melt all over the hat.
OLR Easter Raffle - Tickets available both by Cash or Qkr!
Please note: This year the eggs will be purchased by the school instead of asking families to donate the eggs like previous years.
Cash Tickets will be sold before and after school in week 7. (18th March -22nd March) All cash tickets $1 each.
Qkr! Tickets will be available for purchase from Monday 11th March until Thursday 21st March. Ticket options on Qkr! $1 each or 7 tickets for $5.
We thank you for your support with this event.
Cross Country Training
The school Cross Country is on Friday 5th April at Long Jetty Foreshore
The Cross-Country Running Club will commence this coming Wednesday morning the 13th of March and run for 4 weeks prior to the OLR Cross Country Carnival. Due to supervision and numbers, only students in years 2-6 may attend the running club. Students will be collected from outside the school office at 8am and escorted to the school oval. They will then be led through a quick stretch and commence running laps of the school oval that are equivalent to their cross-country distance. This is for students who wish to develop and improve their fitness in preparation for the school cross country. Students are expected to run if they attend these sessions, this is not an early drop-off.
The sessions will run from 8:00am – 8:25am when morning supervision starts.
St Patrick's Day Green Mufti!
On Monday the 18th March we will celebrate St Patrick's Day!
All students are invited to wear green mufti on this day! We ask students to please bring along a gold coin donation for Project Compassion.
Parent Engagement Update
Central Coast Atrium –
Where children come to discover, explore, and experience God's love for them.
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, The Entrance is thrilled to welcome Amanda Paton and Ashleigh Donnelly as Coordinators and Catechists for The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium.
This program is designed for children aged 3-6 years old and is a Catholic faith formation program grounded in scripture and liturgy of the Church. It is framed by Maria Montessori's principles of education, which allows children to hear the Gospel through the use of sensorial-rich materials. It is a great introduction to the Religious Education curriculum taught in our Catholic schools, and it is also designed to help children nurture their own personal relationship with God.
If you would like to know more about the program, you can visit https://cgsaust.org.au/
Bishop Anthony Randazzo's Pastoral letter to the community of the Central Coast identified The Entrance Parish as a resource to develop formation in pastoral ministry. In the letter, Bishop Anthony expressed his happiness about the establishment of an Atrium for the ministry of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at The Entrance Parish.
'The Atrium' will open on Saturday16th for 3-6 year-olds. If you have any inquiries or would like to enrol your child, please contact Ashleigh on 0466 255 033 or email centralcoastatrium@gmail.com.
Sacramental Programme
Please direct all inquiries regarding the Parish Sacramental Programme to the Parish Office by phoning 4332 2216 or emailing admin@ourladyoftherosary.org.au or you can speak to me (Colleen Smith), I will be only too happy to help you to discuss and explain ways for your child to complete their sacraments.
A reminder to parents of children in Year 3 that if your child is not Baptised Catholic, they will be unable to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation later this year. If you would like more information about Baptism for your child either contact the Parish Office or speak with me (Colleen Smith). Also, if you have any date clashes with the advertised dates for Confirmation please speak to me by the end of term 2 so that I can best advise you on how your child can still receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Junior Altar Server Training
We invite your child to embark on a rewarding and enriching journey by becoming a Junior Altar Server in our parish. This is an opportunity to actively contribute to our worship community, fostering spiritual growth and forming lasting friendships.
As a Junior Altar Server, you'll play a vital role in our liturgical celebrations, learning the sacred rituals and traditions that make our parish unique. This experience not only deepens your understanding of the Mass but also allows you to develop leadership skills, responsibility, and a strong sense of belonging.
We welcome you to embrace this chance to contribute to the spiritual life of our parish. Your enthusiasm and dedication will undoubtedly enrich our worship experience, and we look forward to welcoming you into the cherished tradition of altar service.
If your child is interested in becoming an Altar Server and is in year 4 or above, the parish will be running training sessions over 4 Saturdays commencing on Saturday 2 March through to and including 23 March. Sessions will start at 4pm and then the children will practice what they learn at the 5pm Vigil Mass. Training will be by our Seminarian, Rosan Mathew. Please direct all inquiries to the Parish Office to the attention of Rosan Mathew email: rosan.mathew@bbcatholic.org.au
Take the first step toward a meaningful and fulfilling journey – become a Junior Altar Server!
Catechists Wanted
Hey there! If you're feeling a bit lost now that your child has started school, or if you're a tertiary student studying childcare or learning support and looking for more classroom experience, I might have the perfect opportunity for you. Have you ever considered becoming a catechist? It's a wonderful way to learn more about the Catholic faith and to share your knowledge with young Catholic students attending one of the four government schools in our Parish.
These kids might not have had the opportunity to hear about Jesus before, but you can change that and make a real difference in their lives. This is a truly fulfilling and rewarding ministry, where you get to see the impact of your work firsthand, drawing young Catholics closer to Christ. It could be a life-changing experience for them (and for you too!).
Don't worry, you won't be alone - we'll provide you with all the support you need, and all curriculum materials are supplied. You'll just need to get a Working With Child Check number and complete the required training (which is actually quite fulfilling in itself).
If you're interested, just shoot us an email at leanne@ourladyoftherosary.org.au or give us a call at the parish office on 4332 2216. We'd love to hear from you!
Parent/Family Partnerships with Schools Survey
The survey is still open!
The Council of Catholic School Parents would love to know how involved/engaged you feel you are in your child's learning, how comfortable you feel at your child's school, and your thoughts on how schools could enhance family/school partnerships. We'd also love to know what topics you're interested in learning more about so that we can offer professional learning throughout the year.
We appreciate you taking the time to complete our short survey - we value your thoughts and opinions.
Thank you so much!
PLEASE CLICK THE LINK TO GO TO THE SURVEY: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/survey/57
Kind regards,
Cath Garrett-Jones
Executive Director
PCN News
PCN News
Term 1 PCN Meeting
Thank you all who attended our first meeting for 2024 on Wednesday night! It was lovely seeing new, as well as familiar, faces.
2024 Executive Committee Members
Yvette hosted elections for positions, and we are delighted to announce that your 2024 Executive Committee Members are:
Chair – Amy Rumpler
Secretary – Jenny Grindall-Kruf
Events and Communications Coordinator – Ericka Martinelli
CSBB Parent Representative – Michael Tobin
We thank Amy, Jenny and Michael for continuing their involvement, and we wish to extend particular thanks to Stef Wilson for the brilliant job she did as Events and Communications Coordinator in 2023. We would also like to thank Kate Coates for her contribution and commitment to the PCN over the last several years.
We warmly welcome Ericka to our OLR Community, and are thankful that Stef and Jenny have committed to support Ericka in her role to ensure that PCN hosted events continue to be wonderful experiences for our students.
Volunteers
PCN events rely on the involvement of our dedicated volunteers. We are working behind the scenes on a plan to ensure we have enough volunteers to assist in the planning and running of events. Keep an eye out for details to come soon.
2024 PCN Hosted Events
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 PCN hosted events. Please pop these in your diary and book time off work:
Date | Event |
Term 1; Week 10 - Thursday 11 April - afternoon | Water Fun Day |
Term 2; Week 7 - Friday 14 June - daytime | Walkathon |
Term 3; Week 7 - Friday 6 September - evening | Disco |
Term 4; Week 6 - Friday 22 November - evening | Family Event |
Discussions at Wednesday’s meeting
Here are the main topics we discussed and the details/actions for each:
Topic | Details / Action |
Building works | Thanks go to all staff and families for their patience and support during this exciting time. |
Community | Families appreciate and love our school, and are happy to be back involved in the school in person. Special thanks to Stef and Jenny for all their hard work last year. |
Principal’s Report | Building: Going very well. Hoping to finish jackhammering during school holidays. All on track. |
Community | St Peters students: Happy to assist with events, particularly former OLR students love getting involved. |
Masses | Jo to consult with Colleen (and Parish) re having masses as ‘Grade Events’ to encourage each grade to be responsible |
2024 PCN Meeting Schedule
Be sure to pop these dates in your diary, and join us in person at school, or via Zoom:
Date | Time |
Term 2; Week 5 - Wednesday 29 May | 6:00pm - 7:00pm |
Term 3; Week 5 - Wednesday 21 August | 6:00pm - 7:00pm |
Term 4; Week 5 - Wednesday 13 November | 6:00pm - 7:00pm |
Get in Touch!
If you have any questions about the PCN or would like to provide feedback, please email us at olrpcn@gmail.com
We can’t raise your issues or concerns unless we’re made aware of them, so please get in touch and let us know!
If you’d prefer to keep concerns confidential, please send an email to Jenny at olrpcnsecretary@gmail.com and I will raise them on your behalf.
Best wishes,
Jenny and the PCN Team
Key Dates
Please note the additon of the Easter Festivities (Hat Parade and Raffle) and also the PCN event for Term 1 - Water Fun Day on Thursday 11th April
