OUR LADY OF GRACE
NEWSLETTER
Dear Parents
Welcome back to all for Term 2. I do hope that our Autumn and Easter holidays have been enjoyed by all, and that there were many chances for rest and recovery, including a few later than normal starts, and some days where pyjamas had a slightly extended presence- I know mine did! The children were very happy to return back to school and reconnect with their friends, learning and school life.
The term break saw the fall of dates roll Easter and the ANZAC Day service into the second week of the school holidays. The sense of service of others that is a central part of our cultural identity sees Easter and ANZAC Day side by side. Easter is when we as Catholics pause to remember one man who sacrificed his life for all so that we might live. ANZAC Day is a national holiday to remember those men and women who served and continue to serve to defend the freedoms we have in Australia. We celebrate our love for Mother’s this week and we look forward to Friday’s Mother’s Day Liturgy and Morning Tea. Our Year 2 and 3 children will be leading the liturgy beginning at 9:00am. We invite all our Mum’s, Grans, Nans and other important Women to join us on Friday. Our Mother’s Day stall led by some dad’s was very popular throughout the week. Children have also been busy making special treats for their Mum and writing some beautiful messages and describing qualities of their mum. We wish all our Mum’s a very Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday.
Term 2 Week 2
9
thMay 2019
Diary Dates
MAY
10/5 Mother’s Day Liturgy @ 9am 12/5 Mother’s Day
13/5 P&F Meeting @ 7pm 13/5-17/5 Dental Visits 13/5-24/5 NAPLAN 20/5-24/5 Dental Visits
14/5 School Tours – 9.15 & 5.30pm 16/5 Prayer R/1 Village
20/5 School Board Meeting @ 7pm 22/5 Simultaneous Reading Time 23/5 Year R/1 Assembly
24/5 Year 5 Liturgy
28/5 Reconciliation OLOG @ 7pm 30/5 Andrew Chin-Afternoon
Concert
31/5 Catholic Schools Week starts JUNE
3/6-7/6 Catholic Schools Week 5/6 Term 3 Reception Transition
Visit 9.15-10.30am
6/6 Whole School excursion @ SHC 7/6 PUPIL FREE DAY
10/6 Queen’s Birthday-Public Holiday
11/6 P&F Meeting @ 7pm
12/6 Term 3 Reception Transition Visit 9.15-10.50am
13/6 Year 4 Prayer
17/5 School Board @ 7pm
19/6 Term 3 Reception Transition Visit 9.15-10.50am
Our Lady of Grace School
38 Beadnall Terrace GLENGOWRIE SA 5044 R-6 Co—Ed Catholic School
SCHOOL NUMBER : 8177 9100
Absentee Line: 8177 9191
Email: olog@olog.catholic.edu.auPrincipal: Josette Charles Assistant Principal: Karla Sparapani
A Glenelg Catholic Parish School Parish Priest: Fr Anthony Kain Parish Associate: Orla Wright
Sports
from the Principal cont.
Parents and Friends
The May meeting for parents and Friends will be held next Monday at 7:00pm. Parents and Friends at Our Lady of Grace are a very active group and over the years have worked collaboratively to support the school and create opportunities for families to connect with each other through the many and varied events. Milo days, ice block days, treat days, school disco’s, Quiz Night, Spring Fair are some of the exciting initiatives that are led by the P & F. The OLOG P & F are always generous and hard working and this is a hallmark of our OLOG parent community.
We are seeking parents to be involved with the Parents and Friends and I encourage you to consider being a part of the P&F for 2019. We currently only have a handful of parents and are looking to establish the P & F for 2019. If you are able to be involved, please let me know or you are welcome to come along to Monday’s meeting at 7:00pm in the staffroom.
NAPLAN 2019
In weeks 3 and 4, our Year 3 and 5 students will be sitting their NAPLAN tests. We read and hear much in the media about NAPLAN and its value. One message we give the children is that it is one test on one day; it is only a small amount of information reflecting their learning journey; it is a snapshot of their learning on one particular day; where we are at that particular point in time. Our teachers have been preparing our children because it is important for the children to be familiar with testing and how formal testing looks - this is something they will come across in their lives many more times. Please encourage your children to do their best but not to be nervous about this testing. Testing this year will be online for all tests except the Year 3 Writing test.
Federal Election Update - Catholic Education’s key election objectives
The Federal election is only a fortnight away and we are continually hearing from our politicians.
Catholic schools are a vital part of Australia’s
education landscape; from humble
beginnings almost 200 years ago, Catholic Education is now the nation’s largest provider of education outside the government.
from the Principal cont.
The key national issues for Catholic Education at the upcoming federal election are:
increased capital funding
more resources for early childhood
education
religious freedom in schools
To find out more go to:
http://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/news/federal-election-2019
I have also attached additional information about Catholic Education from each of the parties for the Federal election.
Finally, Stephanie Crowe has been appointed as Acting Religious Education Coordinator at Nativity Catholic School, Aberfoyle Park for Term 2 on Thursdays and Friday’s. This is a leadership role for Stephanie, and we wish her all the best for her role. Judy Gaunt will release Stephanie on Thursday and Friday for Term 2.
Peace and Blessings Josette Charles Principal
From the APRIM
Catholic Identity
As we get to the end of Week 2 of Term 2, it seems ages since Easter. In Catholicism though the Easter season continues until Pentecost, 50 days after Easter. We use this time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and although we cannot always see him, he is still there. The Paschal candle is lighted for the first time from the new fire of the Easter Vigil and is placed in a prominent place in the sanctuary between Easter and Pentecost and is lighted for all liturgical services in this season. It has significant meaning directly on the candle to guide us throughout the liturgical year.
From the APRIM cont.
Joyous Time of Year
May the gloryand the promise
of this joyous time of year bring peace
and happiness to you
and those you hold most dear. And may Christ,
Our Risen Saviour,
always be there by your side to bless you
most abundantly
and be your loving guide. - Author Unknown
Sacramental Program
As our children continue the process of preparing for Reconciliation, we remember that the Sacraments imprint a mark on their souls. Baptism and Confirmation are a time where they are made children of God.
“Just as someone always is and remains a child of his parents, so forever through Baptism and Confirmation once becomes forever a child of God. These are maintained forever therefore can only be received once” YOUCAT
“As one candle is lit from the flame of another, so is faith kindled by faith” Romano Guardini
Social Emotional Learning & Inclusive Education
With NAPLAN in a couple of weeks Test Anxiety may be a real problem, below is an article on how to help children cope.
Normalising anxiety
Children can feel anxious for all sorts of reasons and sometimes for no reason at all. If they don’t understand what‘s happening, it can be a frightening experience. The very thought of becoming anxious can be enough to trigger anxiety. Assuming there’s no real underlying danger, such as bullying, here are some tips from mental health experts to help your child take control.
Readers urgently needed
We are beginning a program as part of the MultiLit programme, called MacqLit. This is a one on one tutorial for students in Literacy. We are looking at expanding our program but urgently need people to read with children. A small training session will need to be done, and a commitment to working weekly with the same child/ren. Each child will take
approximately 20 minutes. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
From the APRIM cont.
Let them know it’s normal
Children experiencing anxiety can think there’s something wrong with them, which only adds to the problem. So your first step is to help them realise it’s a normal human function. Be careful how you do this. Dismissive statements like, ‘don’t worry’, ‘you’ll be fine’ or ‘calm down’ are usually unhelpful.
Begin by acknowledging how they are feeling. Rather than making assumptions, talk about what you are seeing and check their view at each step. You might start by saying ‘I can see you’re upset, [check] would it help to talk about it?’ Genuinely listen to their responses, and show empathy and understanding. A hug can go a long way.
If they don’t want to talk about it, then respect that, but leave the door open by saying
something like, ‘OK, but I’m always happy to listen if you feel like talking later’. Then check in on the topic in a day or two.
Tell them you remember having similar feelings at their age, explain some of your symptoms and ask if that’s what they feel. Tell them you still get worried sometimes for no good reason.
You could say ‘Sometimes I don’t even know why I’m so worried, does that happen to you?’
The main thing is to help your child find their own solutions. You could say ‘What do you think would help?’ or ‘When I felt that way, this worked for me.’
Explain what is happening
Understanding what triggers anxiety will help you explain things to your child. Here are some points to get you started.
Anxiety is a response triggered by a part of our brain called the amygdala. It’s designed to protect us when it thinks we’re in danger. To do this it sends oxygen, hormones and adrenalin out to our arms and legs, so we can run away or defend ourselves with great speed and strength. It also temporarily stops our body using energy for non-essential things, like breathing deeply and digesting food. Anxiety happens when the amygdala is triggered into action for no good reason. The body is ready for action, but there’s no flight or fight required.
From the APRIM cont.
It often helps if your child gives their amygdala a name, like Zena. Let them pick the name and talk about how they visualise it. This makes it Zena’s problem when anxiety happens. Your child needs to learn is how to let Zena know everything is OK. The best way to do this is to take slow deep breaths. Zena will soon figure out there’s no danger and stop trying to save you from nothing.
Teach your child how to take breaths that go right down to their stomach. Lying with a soft toy on their stomach, making it go up and down, is a fun way to practise.
Catholic Social Teaching
Our Year 6 Leaders have been working with me and their Circle Time groups to plan for great initiatives to support Adelaide Day Centre for the Homeless. As Circle Time groups we will be
making soup on a rotation basis to support homeless men. More information to come out soon.
Services Adelaide Day Centre Provides Intensive Rehabilitation Activity Program -
including gardening, woodwork, crafts, living skills and holistic support
Information and referral - housing and welfare needs
Emergency assistance - food, furniture and other material assistance if other services unavailable
Mobile soup kitchen
Assistance with Care & Housing for the Aged (ACHA) program - support for financially disadvantaged frail aged people who are homeless or living in insecure
accommodation and who are on the Intensive Rehabilitation Activity Program
Karla Sparapani Assistant Principal
The more points we earn, the more we can redeem from a choice of over 10,000
educational resources including mathematics and English resources, art & crafts materials and much, much more!
We are grateful for your support and look forward to a successful program. If you have any questions, please ask at School.
Scholastic Book Club
Issue #3!!
The Scholastic Book Club Issue #3 booklets have arrived. Could all Issue #3 Book Club orders be completed and brought to the front office, with Name, Class and CORRECT
MONEY in an envelope, sticky taped to
protect coins from falling out or if you’d rather you can order and pay directly to Scholastic through LOOP,
NO later than Thursday MORNING 16th May.
Many thanks Anne Lindner
Sports News
Basketball
Please note that there is a $5 per player cost to be paid at the venue for Terms 2 and 3 players. Thank you
Alistair Fleming
From the Office
2020/2021 Reception Enrolments
A reminder to our current families and friends that 2020/2021 Reception Enrolments are now being accepted.
Please share with family and friends that our next School Tour is scheduled for Tuesday 14th May at 9.15am and again at 5.30pm. If you wish to register for the tour, please contact the school 8177 9100.
Enrolment places are still available for 2020.
Just a friendly reminder that if you have changed your contact details; a new phone number, email address or mailing address, please let the front office know to ensure that our emergency contact details are kept up to date.
Thank you.
Woolworth Earn and Learn Stickers
We are excited to be taking part in the 2019 Woolworths Earn & Learn program.
During the previous campaign, we were able to purchase some great resources with the points we earned, thanks to you.
From now until June 25th 2019, you can collect stickers at Woolworths that go towards Earn & Learn points. For every $10 you spend you will receive a sticker. These stickers can then be given to your children to collect on a special sticker sheet. Once it is completed, they can simply bring it back here to school.
The school’s office does have spare sticker sheets.
School Banking cont.
Our Lady of Grace is a Way2Go partner with the local council and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.
The Way2Go program promotes safe and active travel for school communities.
We want to create school precincts where children, families and communities can choose to walk, ride a bike or scooter and use public transport to get around their local area and for school journeys.
The important first step is to collect information about children’s current school travel.
Students and teachers will be completing the online survey and your perspective as a parent/caregiver will provide valuable information.
The survey provides ‘snapshot in time’ information about specific travel choices, attitudes, issues and preferences.
The patterns emerging and specific information will shape planning and actions to create ongoing improvements near the school.
Please use the following link http://bit.ly/Way2GoParentSurvey or (google Way2Go
School Banking
School Banking Token Update Our school is excited to offer the Commonwealth Bank School Banking program to all students.
School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way for young Australians to learn about money and develop good savings habits. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking can earn exclusive School Banking rewards in recognition of their regular savings habits.
The number of deposits made by students is tracked by the School Banking Co-ordinators on the Commonwealth Bank School Banking Portal. Our school has decided to no longer issue silver Dollarmites tokens each week with the School Banking. The School Banking Co-ordinators will advise students when they have reached 10 deposits and can order a reward item.
Children can also track how many tokens they have earned via the CommBank Youth app which can be downloaded onto any iOS 9+ device.
Visit
www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking to find out more.
Enrolment Information SHC
During Term 2, Sacred Heart College will host College Tours at the Champagnat Campus (Years 7-9), Percy Ave, Mitchell Park and Marcellin Campus (Years 10-12), Brighton Rd, Somerton Park. Prospective families are warmly welcome to attend and bookings can be made on the College website, www.shc.sa.edu.au or by telephoning 8350 2200.
The Champagnat Campus Tours will be held on Wednesday 22 May and 19 June and the Marcellin Tour will be held on Tuesday 28 May. All tours begin at 9.15am and are approximately 45 minutes in duration with morning tea provided at the conclusion of the tours.
A reminder to families with children seeking entry to Year 7 in 2021, that applications are now being accepted from current Year 5 students with enrolment interviews commencing later this term. Should you have any questions regarding the enrolment process, please contact the
College Registrar, Mrs Virginia Miller,
registrar@shc.sa.edu.au for further assistance.
Woo Hoo!! It’s time to start reading. Children have until 6 September 2019 to complete their reading for the Premier’s Reading Challenge and to hand in their student reading records to their village educators.
Reading Challenge sheets will be going home this week.
If your son/daughter has completed the Challenge for seven years, a hall of fame medal will be awarded in November. In recognition of this outstanding achievement your child’s name can be included in the Premier’s Reading Challenge hall of fame honour roll on the website.
The school consent form you signed at the beginning of the year will cover permission to consent for your child’s first and last name to be printed. Neither the school nor year level will be included for security reasons.
School Banking cont.
If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2019 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit
commbank.com.au/schoolbanking
Congratulations to the following students for earning a bronze certificate for making 10 (or more) school banking deposits so far this year:
Bailey B Capri D Catherine E Jacob L Connor M Stella M Jude N Summer N Evie W
Rewards Program update
Available in Term 2, we have two new reward items from our 2019 Polar Savers range for students to redeem: Yeti Fluffy Notebook and Icicle Slapband Ruler.
We also have available a number of reward items from previous years that are still available for students to redeem including a Handball, Sparkle Glitter Pens, Zoom Flying Disc, Heat Reactor Pencils and Glow Light.
Children’s Dental Program
The Mobile Dental Progam begins next week Monday May 13th and runs until Friday May
24th
It’s not too late to register, just drop into the front office to collect a Registration pack. Fill in the details and return the information back to the school.
Mother’s Day Stall
Tomorrow, Friday May 10th is the last day for
the stall. Gifts are $5 each and all students and their siblings are welcome to purchase. Stall will open before school at 8.40am.
