14 June 2018

Newsletter Articles

Dates to Remember

Principal’s Message

Our school Prayer

This is our school, let peace be here.
Let the school be full of happiness.
Let us love one another, Love life itself.
And above all Love God.
Our Lady of Victories, Pray for us.

Uniforms

I am often asked why do so many children not wear their uniform correctly. There are many reasons for this, including cost, lost items, rushing out the door, not enforced strictly enough and winter seems to bring out all the variations that are not listed as uniform items. As I feel that the majority of students come to school dressed properly the expectation is that part of being a member of our school community means following the dress code set to allow children to feel part of the community by wearing the correct uniform.

Overall, the uniform is being worn with pride and the sense of community is clearly felt in the student's willingness to show belonging through the wearing of a uniform. Thank you to families for their continued support in this area.

The season is well and truly turned to winter now. All students are now expected to be wearing the full winter uniform. This is outlined in the table below, which is drawn directly from the school uniform policy.

There are a few areas of the winter uniform that need to be tidied up for a few students, the most concerning of all being the top layer and tie. Our school jacket or navy knitted jumper is to be worn as the top layer at all times. Generic, navy blue middle layers may be worn underneath but if a layer is to come off, it should be that middle layer, leaving the school jacket/jumper on the top. The school tie should be worn on all days (except sports days) with the top button fastened.

We understand that families in the immediate moment may need to find a short-term answer to a uniform challenge. However, it is important that there is a very clear expectation to wear the full uniform in the long term. We will continue to respond to these specific concerns next week and wanted to alert our parents that this will be our focus. We are happy to support families to ensure all students are wearing the full winter uniform, so please contact us if you have any concerns. Our commitment as a school community is that every student belongs equitably and our uniform is the sign of that belonging.

The school uniform shop is open every Thursday morning from 8.30am.

Mandatory Reporting

Mandatory reporting is a term used to describe the legislative requirement for selected groups of people to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to government authorities. Parliaments in all Australian states and territories have enacted mandatory reporting laws of some description. In NSW, a child or young person is at risk of significant harm if current concerns exist for the safety, welfare or wellbeing of the child or young person because of the presence, to a significant extent.

For example:

• basic physical or psychological needs are not being met or at risk of not being met;
• not receiving necessary medical care;
• not receiving an education in accordance with the Education Act 1990;
• physical or sexual abuse or ill-treatment;
• serious physical or psychological harm as a consequence of living in a household where there have been incidents of domestic violence;
• serious psychological harm;
• the child was the subject of a prenatal report under section 25 and the birth mother did not engage successfully with support services to eliminate, or minimise to the lowest level reasonably practical the risk factors that gave rise to that report

All teachers and staff of OLV are Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect. Parents might also like to know that volunteers who work in schools are also determined as Mandatory Reporters also. This means that all these groups are required by law to report any abuse or neglect.

Taking Leave

I would like to inform the community that I am taking Long Service Leave for the first half of next term. The normal protocol is that the AP would step up into an acting Principal’s Role, the REC would normally step up to cover an acting AP’s role. Mrs Carroll and Miss Morris have accepted these responsibilities and Expressions of Interest are being sought from staff for the vacant acting REC role.

Stranger Danger

In the wake of what has happened in Adamstown recently, it would be a good idea to talk to your children about “STRANGER DANGER”. The wrong people with rewards or treats or with stories that involve family or pets persuade children very easily. These predators are very skilled in gaining a child’s trust and before you know it, the child is in a very vulnerable place. Make sure that your children are not alone in unfamiliar places, call out loudly if a stranger approaches them and never accept gifts from people they do not know.

Homework Club

Sr Anna is taking 7 weeks holidays as of next week. The parish have found a replacement that has graciously agreed to take over helping with Homework Club during Sr Anna’s absence, but she will only be able to offer Homework Club on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during this time.

Starting next week 18/6/2018, Homework club will only be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until Sr Anna returns. Please make alternative arrangements for after school care on Mondays and Fridays. Your assistance in this is appreciated.

May you be in heaven 5 minutes
Before the devil knows you’re dead.

Kind regards,
Gerry Vandermaat – Principal

Wandana

The Wandana incursion last week was a wonderful immersion for all the children and parents that joined in. Brian Cook and Eve White brought the Wandana Immersion Experience to OLV last Monday (June 4). The day began with a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, which involved the whole school. The visitors recognised our School Leaders and one of our Indigenous Families and had their faces marked in the traditional way.

Following this, Eve presented each class with artefacts and told the stories behind them as well as explaining some of the traditional symbols in paintings and stories. They played games and heard some interesting facts about aboriginal life. John played the didgeridoo, which thrilled the children.

While half the class were having their faces marked, the rest were contributing to a large mural which depicts the story of the Awabakal people of our region and how it is linked with our school’s story. The day concluded with another ceremony which told the story behind the Mural to which, children teachers and parents all contributed. The Mural was then unveiled for all to see.

The day was a wonderful experience and the immersion gave the children a deeper understanding and connection to the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn.The painting depicts the Ironbark Creek region where the Awabakal people lived and the connection to spirituality of the church and school founded by Fr Roley Scythe and the 3 Sisters of Joseph in 1957.

KINDER Enrolments 2019

The enrolment period for 2019 is now open. Parents who are seeking enrolment for their children at OLV in 2019 should ask for an Application for Enrolment from the office. Alternatively, an enrolment pack can be found our school website below:

or on the CSO website below

If you are aware of any families that are also considering enrolling next year, please pass on this message.

Compass Update

ACCESSING REPROTS

Parents will soon be able to access this semester reports for their children through compass. If you want to practice before the new reports are uploaded, you can review previous reports by following these steps:

How to access your child/ren’s semester report:

1. Log into your Compass Account using the USERNAME and PASSWORD provided in the letters sent home two weeks ago. If you haven’t already done so, complete this process on a computer first, then change the password to suit you.
2. Click on your child’s photo – this brings up their “DASHBOARD”
3. Click on REPORTS from the tabs across the top.
4. Select the required report from the list.

How to book a Parent/Teacher Interview – once the portal is OPEN (parents will be notified on Friday 29 June when this happens)

1. Log into your Compass Account using the USERNAME and PASSWORD provided in the letters sent home two weeks ago. If you have not already done so, complete this process on a computer first, then change the password to suit you.
2. Click on your child’s photo – this brings up their “DASHBOARD”
3. Click on the COMMUNITY ICON (the 2 people)
4. Choose “CONFERENCES” from the list
5. Choose a time from the timetable that suits and is still available.
6. For a second child start from step 2 again

NB – “Conferences” are booked on a “first come – first served basis” – you will not be able to book “back to back” times for multiple children – a space is required to cater for movement from class to class

OFFICE KIOSK

Our little gadget has arrived and is sitting on the counter. This “kiosk” replaces the blue slips that parents filled out in the past. If you are wishing to sign in late or sign out early, parents need to tap in and start typing their name and follow the prompts - only RESIDENTIAL PARENTS/CARERS/GUARDIANS may do this. If you have a relative or friend helping out by dropping off or picking up for you, then you will need to inform the office in writing or by phone that there is an alternative arrangement happening that day.

If you enter or exit via the front gate during school hours, please ensure the gate securely closes behind you.

School Fees

There seemed to be some confusion around the cost of the Athletics Carnival of $10. The note stated that the cost was included in the Sports Levy and would be no charge. Some letters that went home last week had a payment slip attached stating a $10 payment required. So, some parents have sent in this $10 as payment even though it is included in the Sport Levy. If there is no objection from those that sent in the $10 cash, we will credit it towards your Tuition Fee account. Those that wished to pay by credit card will not be charged. If you prefer to have the $10 cash returned please contact the office. Apologies for the miscommunication. I will claim a technical glitch using th new system..

As we come to the end of Term 2, there are many parents with outstanding fees who have not made arrangements to deal with their debt. Reminder letters were sent home recently to those outstanding debtors. The next step is to forward these to the Catholic Schools Office for consideration and to commence collection processes. We ask parents to ensure that any outstanding fees for term 2 are finalised as soon as possible. Thank you to those who have made arrangement, you should continue to do so.

Broken Sewer

Hunter Water are working on a broken sewer line, which services the houses on Sandgate Road. They have requested that a pump be situated inside our school fence so that the sewer can be pumped around the work site and the necessary repairs be made. This area will be fenced and access to the top field will be restricted for the children for a couple of days. The works do not affect the school’s sewer lines.

P&F News

If parents would like to add to the monthly meeting agenda, please call Kylie Westaway or send an email to OLVparentsandfriends@gmail.com.

Playground Update

We have been notified by our contractor that work on our new playground is scheduled to commence on July 4 (pending weather). This should see most of the works completed during the holidays. Exciting times for all.

Clothing Pool:

The Uniform Pool is now set up and operating from the “Bell Room” next to the Year 1 classroom. The Uniform Pool is open every Thursday morning from 8:40am – 9:10am.

Please Note: we can only take cash sales as no EFTPOS facilities are available.

Canteen Roster:

15/6: closed athletics carnival
20/6: Krist + Ella
22/6: Heather + Naomi
27/6: Mary + Kerryn
29/6: Cassie + Help needed please
4/7: Closed
6/7: Pupil free day closed

Class News

Kinder

Kinder have started a new unit in Religion: The Creation Story. We viewed a You Tube clip ‘BBC: Planet Earth’ and wondered about all the beautiful things in our world and how they came to be. We viewed images of our planet ‘Earth’ from outer space and coloured in an illustration of the earth to show the oceans and land masses. We also viewed some Aboriginal Creation Stories as examples of how different cultures have different ideas about how the natural world was created. For news in Week 6 the children were asked to create something to share with the class and in Week 8 their task is to find something that belongs to God’s Creation eg shell, insect, rock. We will leave these at school to be placed on our Nature Table. Although the children would love to bring pets they are not appropriate items to be included in our Nature display. In Shared Reading we read ‘I am a Bear.’ We learnt that it is a factual text which gives us real information about bears. We identified new information eg. a bear’s cave is called a den and baby bears are called cubs. We wrote facts about bears on a bear shape for our Writing assessment. We have also been doing assessments in other areas of English. In Maths we are learning about ‘Area’. It is the measure of the amount of surface. Surface refers to the outer faces or outside of an object. A surface may be flat or curved. We took off a shoe, traced around it, cut it out and superimposed it on other students’ shoe shapes to find out who had the shoe with the largest area. It was Blake Bailey and the shoe size was 13. Science is very interesting this term as we continue to investigate the weather. We learnt all about temperature this week. We investigated some different types of air to find out what it feels like (hair dryer, blowing on the palm of our hand, fan, refrigerator). We identified the air as hot, warm, cool or cold. We also looked at warm/cool colours and painted an online picture using cool colours. In Music we identified recorded music that is high or low and played percussion instruments with a high or low sound to accompany the recording.

Year 1

Year 1 have continued their work on narratives. Using the story of 'Possum Magic' we recreated the ending. It was pleasing to read the different places the possums ventured to, to find the magic to make Hush visible: 'Shortland', 'Charlestown Square' and 'Wallsend'! Last week everyone shared their weekend recounts with the class. We all had to listen carefully to see if everyone remembered to write details that answered 'when', 'who', 'where' and what'.

In Maths, we worked on different ways we could collect data. First, we wanted to know which letter of the alphabet was the most popular for the first names in our class. Everyone collected the data by walking around the classroom and recording each other’s names from the nametags displayed on our desks. The next data we collected was about what the most popular fruit was in our class. We did this by sitting in a circle and recording our favourite choice on a person's table in their workbook and then passing it to the next person in the circle. By the end of the week, we collected data on our favourite colours and ice-cream flavours by asking people and recording their choices in tally marks. From the information we were collecting we could identify the most popular and least popular choices. Year 1 have also worked on Multiplication and putting objects into equal groups to find their total.

In Religion, we have been learning about Baptism. We have looked closely at the different signs and symbols used in Baptism and what they mean. Year 1 discussed four symbols in particular: Holy Water and the Baptismal Font, The Baptism Candle, The Chrism Oil and the white coloured garment that is worn during the Sacrament of Baptism.

We all had a great time on Monday participating in the activities put together by Wandana. Our class learnt about symbols used to create paintings and tell stories and we all contributed to the beautiful school painting. Year 1 were also introduced to traditional tools and weapons used by Aboriginal people. Our class thoroughly enjoyed the day!

Year 2/3

In week 6 and 7, Year 2/3 considered the process of planning for data collection and recording and sorting data. We used our school lunch boxes as a focus for data sorting. We chose one item from our lunch boxes and we sorted all of the food samples into categories which included fruit, packet food and homemade. This week we are focusing on capacity and the many household and school containers that we can measure using informal units or millilitres and litres. In English we studied the text Shake a Leg by Boori Monty Prior. This text demonstrated the changing lifestyle of some indigenous people, but also the ongoing traditions. In History, we studied the meaning of Australia day and its history, noting that it was originally known as Foundation Day. In science, we continue to categorise heat sources according to the method in which the heat was generated. We started planning a collage of a still life object inspired by the work of Eric Wilson. In religion, we compared the similarities and differences between the mass and everyday celebrations.

Year 4

In Religion this week, Year 4 started the Beliefs unit talking about God, drawing an images of God and reflecting on some beliefs about God. In English we continue to read ‘Letty’s and the Stranger’s Lace’. This is a story about a young English girl looking to begin a new life in the colony of New South Wales. In History we are learning about life in the First Settlement and about some of the struggles they had adapting to life on a new continent. We are enjoying learning and practising tennis skills each Wednesday this term. Yesterday we learnt how to do a forehand volley. In past weeks we have learnt forehand strokes, backhand and serving. Sam and Bailey hold the record, for our class, for the most returns hit before missing a shot.

Year 5

We are working hard and cannot believe we are halfway through this term.

Year 6

In Religion, we have begun a new unit called Beliefs. We studied our School Mission Statement for the beliefs it stated and we identified examples of Catholic beliefs that are apparent in our school. We also compared the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. In English, we are really enjoying our work on ‘Dragonkeeper’ by Carole Wilkinson. We are using the story as a basis for discovering new vocabulary and improving our own. We also identified various aspects of grammar, such as onomatopoeia, abstract nouns and similes. In Maths, we have been working on multiplication and division and completing activities involving the Order of Operations. We are also working with multiplication of fractions. In History, we have completed research tasks about the events highlighting the plight of the Indigenous people of our country over the last 80 years. The events include - The Day of Mourning, The Freedom Ride, The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and The Wave Hill Walk-off. We researched actions taken because of unfair treatment of the Indigenous by white Australians and the government. It has been really interesting to discover this sad side of our history. In Personal Development, we are studying a unit called, “Making Decisions about Drugs”. We are learning about the effects of legal drugs, such as medications, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, as well as illicit drugs that are in our society such as marijuana, LSD and ecstasy. It is frightening to learn about their effects on the body! We have been having a lot of fun in Music and have been sharing our creativity through body percussion and movement.

LEXIA AT HOME

It is great to hear that so many children have been able to download the Lexia Core 5 program at home. Some are even using it with their IPads!

Here are the details again if you would like to do Lexia at home.

If you would like to use the program at home you will need to download this new version. You can download from the link below.

or, you can use it via your web browser below

You do not need any codes but will need the admin user email address. lady@victories.com.au from their children log on with their usual Lexia username and password. I Pad and I Pad mini users can download the Core 5 app from the App store- search for “Lexia Reading Core 5”.

If you have any problems, please contact me at the school on a Tuesday or Friday. – (Jenny McCallum - Learning Support Teacher)

SPORTS NEWS

Soccer Gala

Sadly, this event was postponed last week. A new date will be set for Term 3. A new permission and transport note will be sent home in case your circumstances have changed.

School Athletics Carnival

We are looking forward to our carnival tomorrow. All the children should have been entered into their respective events and the Carnival Program will be available in the morning and on Facebook  and Skoolbag this evening. Making changes on the day is difficult and the children should compete in what they have nominated for and not pull out of events for no  reason.

The children should wear their Sports Uniform – but may wear their house colours if they wish (shirts, socks, hats, ribbons etc– no crepe paper please). They should bring their lunch, however the P&F are selling pies and sausage rolls along with cakes and drinks during the day.

Thanks to all those that volunteered are able to help out – I will be shouting out for you in the morning to give instructions before the carnival commences.

Please ensure that your child is on time before school as we need to leave almost immediately after assembly and that you sign out your child if they are not retuning with us on the bus.

We will be presenting ribbons and trophies at assembly next week on Friday afternoon.

See you there tomorrow.

SOO 1

The Blues played some good football to overcome the QLD team – a well-deserved win. Just a reminder though that NSW also won the first game in the series last year – and what was the result of the series? GO THE MAROONS in Game 2.

Class Awards

Class awards for Week 8