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THE HOME STRETCH
We have gone past "Hump Week" and begin the downhill run to the end of the year. Whilst there are many things that won't be the same as usual, it will still be an important time for all the children. The upside of the COVID restrictions is that the children can be more focused on their learning.
END OF YEAR HAPPENINGS
We are looking forward to the end of a very difficult year for everyone. Who knows what 2021 will bring. Hopefully a bit of a return to normality. Parents have probably done it very hard this year -- missing out on a lot the activities they might attend with their children. At least with the easing of some restrictions we will be able to invite the Year 6 parents to some of the End of Year activities.
SEMESTER REPORTS
The children have been and will be working hard on assessment tasks during this middle part of the term. This will lead to a full end of year report. Our Mid year report looked mostly at how the children coped with the changed learning modes and their focus on applying themselves to learning remotely. This Semester we have had 6 full months of Teaching and Learning in a far more optimal mode, so we are able to assess and report in a more traditional way.
Reports will be released through COMPASS at the end of Week 9 -- 11 December.
KINDER 2021
We have enjoyed the company of our prospective Kinders for 2021 at two Orientation opportunities over the last two weeks. I was so proud of the children in Years 4 & 5 who acted as buddies for these children. Their enthusiasm and patience ensured our new little ones will find coming to OLV in 2021 a very enjoyable experience.
WELL DONE TO ALL OUR BIG BUDDIES !!!
REFLECTIONS FROM OUR BIG BUDDIES
With Orientation finishing on Tuesday, we again got to experience the joy of having our new Kinders on site and our big buddies got to spend more time with their little buddies.
Last week was a huge learning curve, and today was far easier, for all concerned. I am very proud of how they have responded to the challenge of being a big buddy.
Afterwards, we spent some time reflecting on the experience and below are the responses to 2 of the questions posed.
- What surprised you about your buddies?
- What have you learnt about your buddies?
Cooper:
Somethings that surprised me about my buddies were one is very smart, one is very quiet and very kind, and one is very confident.
I have learnt a lot about my buddies. One is clever, one likes playing with the cars and one likes playing in the mud kitchen.
Fin:
Something that surprised me they are all confident.
Something that I have learnt about my buddies is they all like running games and cars.
Tahlia:
Something that surprised me is that they all like to run, and to play in the mud kitchen, making mud cakes. Something that has surprised me is they all like to play with the rocks.
They all like drawing and making pictures for their family and taking them home to show them.
Marley:
The thing that has surprised me about my buddies is that they're not shy and they talk to me.
Something that I have learnt about my buddies is that they're are really kind, caring and they all like dressing up in costumes (mostly dressing up like a unicorn or a princess).
Harry:
Something that surprised me was that no one was crying today when they got to big school.
Something that I have learnt about my buddies are that one likes to play in the sandpit and the other two like to play in the mud kitchen or on the playground.
Lily:
Something that surprises me about my buddies is that one has the cutest voice ever and the other is cute in all.
Something I learnt about my buddies are that one likes Paw Patrol a lot and the other really likes blocks and towers.
Isla:
Something I am surprised about is them liking me because I didn’t think they would.
Something I have learned about my buddies is that they all are very nice and kind.
Ruby:
Something that has surprised me about my buddies is that they are talented and smart.
Something that I have learnt about my buddies is when they laugh, it makes me laugh because of how cute they are.
El:
I was most surprised about how confident and fun they were. I thought that my buddies would be shy and just quietly play, but instead they were expressive and made me laugh a lot. What also surprised me was how they played with other kindies like they had known each other since pre-school.
I learnt about each of my their personalities and that they were such fun to have around. They made me laugh all morning and have lots of fun with them.
Xavier:
Something that surprised me about my buddies is how nice they were to each other and how well they got along.
Something I have learnt about my buddies is how well-mannered they all are.
Breanna:
I was surprised because one of my buddies was really confident and last year I had a really quiet buddy and I wasn't used to it.
I learnt that both my buddies have siblings in OLV already and know a bit about school.
Archie:
Something I have learnt about my buddies is that they’re all brave and friendly to everyone and they have become friends quickly.
Something that I learnt about my buddies is how cooperative they are with people.
Levi:
Something that surprised me about my buddies is that one got attached to the other big buddies in our group. Something else that surprised me was that I I thought it was going to be really hard with one buddy but then when I met him, we got along well and he listened really well.
I have learnt that all my buddies are nice kids and they all listen well. They all get along with each other and they get along with us.
Julian:
The thing that surprised me was that they were so keen to come to big school and excited to meet new friends. I was very surprised that they were very happy and joyful.
Some things that I have learnt about my buddies are that they are very playful. My buddies are also enthusiastic because they always want something to do. One more thing that I have learnt about my buddies is that they are friendly, they are always happy and kind.
Georgina:
A thing that surprised me about my buddies is how shy some of them are.
Something I have learnt about my buddies is that one is adventurous and the other two are quieter.
SCHOOL PHOTOS
Parents should have received their children's school photos this week. Please let us know if there are any issues.
SOO3
What a turnaround after last week's effort. But what a great game. It was hard for NSW to get on top with the amount of possession QLD had. But the good defence and a late fightback by NSW didn't come off. Seems Pikachu had the last laugh. QLD 2-1 ... WOOHOO - the world order has been restored.
COVID REMINDERS
A couple of things have pricked my attention that probably need clarifying.
When dropping off the children in the morning, please use the whole of the drop off area to stop and go. You are allowed to stop in the NO PARKING area for a quick drop off. Please do not get out of your car in that area. If you want to walk you children to the gate them you will have to park outside the signed area further up Lovell Pde or in the church car park.
Secondly, when picking up your children at any of the gates, social distancing is required and groups of people chatting is not allowed -- children should be with their own parents only and parents should be 1.5m apart.
Thank you for your cooperation. I know it's hard on us all but we are in this together.
OOSH SURVEY
St Nicholas OOSH is seeking an indication if any families are looking to use the Vacation Care Program. St Nich's would like you to complete the Survey Monkey below to guage the extent of need our parents have.
Parents who do not usually use the before and after school care may also access the Vacation Care Program. The programs are very good and provide a wide variety of experiences and learning during the school break.
Please take the time to fill out the short survey on-line by clicking on the link.
SWIMMING 2020
Unfortunately we have not been able to hold our intensive swimming program this year and our annual Swimming Carnival will not be going ahead in 2020.
No swimming carnival will make selection for the Regional Carnival difficult if that goes ahead in 2021. I would envisage inviting the children who represented this year to nominate and add any other interested swimmers into the team next year.
DATE CLAIMERS
If you are looking for what is happening in our school please ensure to check the date claimers tab on your schoolzine app.
Year 6 Retreat
On Tuesday Year 6 had their first experience of a retreat. I would like to thank Mrs Helene O’Neill from the Diocesan office for assisting me in leading the retreat. We held the day in the Penola Room. The children had time to reflect on their primary school journey. We did some team building activities. The students also shared their concerns and hopes about going to high school. The students really enjoyed playing the Journey of Life game working together to figure out the correct path as a team. There was a lot of fun, laughter and reflecting throughout the day which hopefully the students will remember as they move on in their faith journey in high school.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
This year's appeal will need to be a bit different to previous years. The St Vincent De Paul have asked us not to appeal for food hampers as in previous years, as this places a huge work load on the society due to COVID regulations. A monetory contributon from the community will make their task a lot easier. We will be having some fun days from now till the end of the year to collect something to send onto the St VdP. Stay tuned.
As the feast of Mother Foundress, blessed Frances Siedliska is coming (21 of November) I would like to share a few thoughts about the charism of my Congregation.
“Our charism, as expressed by Foundress, is born of a deep contemplation of the Trinity and its human manifestation, the Holy Family of Nazareth. Like Mary and Joseph, faithfully living their daily lives in the presence of the Word made Flesh, our Foundress understood that simple ordinary life, lived in love, can be a profound encounter with God.
Rooted in Christ, in cooperation with the Church, my Congregation strives, in the diversity of its ministries, to build communities of love and hope. We recognise the family as the place where values are nurtured and persons are formed, and in the spirit of Frances Siedliska, we work throughout the world to embrace the needs of the human family as our own.” https://nazarethcsfn.org/
We, Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth pray every day for the intention of Families we work with and all the families around the word.
Prayer to the Holy Family
O Holy Family, bless and protect all the families of the world. Safeguard their unity, fidelity, integrity and dignity. Enable them to live according to God’s law, that they may fulfil their sublime vocation. May their lives be a reflection of yours, and may they enjoy your presence forever in heaven.
Amen.
More about my congregation and Province in Australia https://csfn.org.au/
Sr Milla
Term 3 Fees
Kindergarten Enrolment
Family Discount Forms
A purple Family Discount Form was sent home in Week 3 for parents to complete in preparation for 2021 school fees. This is an important form that we then use to calculate the fees for the coming year. It is vital that all parents complete this form and indicate if we need to apply a family discount (including siblings across both primary and high schools within the Catholic system), Health Care Card discount and the optional contribution to the Diocesan Pastoral Care program.
This form must be completed for all families including if only one child is in the Catholic Diocease.
Forms are now OVERDUE. This form helps our billing process for 2021. Thank you to all the families who have already returned their form.
Book Club
The last issue for Book Club went home last week. Please have all orders in no later than Monday 23rd November, 2020.
You can order on-line or send your payment into school in an envelope with the order form clearly marked with the student's name and items to be ordered.
Library news
The last day for library borrowing will be week 7, Wednesday 25th November. All library books need to be returned by the following week, week 8, Wednesday, 2nd December.
If books have not been returned by this date an email will be sent to parents with the titles of the books to be returned. If you could help with searching for the unreturned books, I would be most grateful. Library books seem to find their way into many different places eg book shelves, behind lounges, under beds etc
Happy reading
Kindergarten
In English, we are learning about the four kinds of sentences:
- statement (a telling sentence), “I played Sport at school today”.
- question (an asking sentence), “Did you have a good time at school today?”
- command (a command sentence) “Turn off the TV and go to bed”.
- an exclamation (an exciting sentence). “It’s my birthday!”
In Maths we are learning how to problem solve using addition and subtraction strategies.
In Religion we viewed a video clip of ‘The Good Shepherd’ and ‘The lost Sheep’. We learnt that Jesus cares for us and protects us like the Shepherd who cared for his sheep.
In Science we are designing a bridge using a range of materials. Our bridge must carry a small match box car without the bridge collapsing. We viewed a Google slide show of pictures of the different bridges from around the world. Using paper and pencils, we planned and designed a bridge to be built using the provided materials in the classroom.
The Kinders were asked to bring some materials from home. Some suggestions are: cardboard or cardboard tubes, straws, toothpicks, pop sticks, tape, styrofoam, egg cartons, string and cereal boxes. We will be making our bridge on Monday of week 7.
In our Geography Unit on ‘People Live in Places’ we explored why place is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We looked at rock carvings made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and discussed why they are special.
Year 1
In Religion we have continued our studies of the Hebrew Scriptures. We looked more closely at Old Testament stories that emphasise that our God is a God who saves and protects, as demonstrated in 'Daniel and the Lions' Den'. We completed an assessment related to our knowledge of the stories we've covered this term, and what we learn about God through these stories. We are looking forward to starting our new unit this week - 'Advent and Christmas'.
In English we read the book 'The Day The Crayons Quit' by Drew Daywalt. It's a clever story, where each of Duncan's crayons write their own letter to Duncan to explain their viewpoint. We discussed the structure of a letter and wrote letters in response to the orange and yellow crayons. We've been putting a big effort in every morning to improve our reading and spelling of sight words, and we've also been working on sentence editing activities as a grammar focus. Mrs Noble and Miss Payton have been conducting reading, writing and spelling assessments over the last couple of weeks as we are now on the downhill run to reports and the end of the year!
During Maths in Week 4, we looked at measuring length. We used several different uniform informal units, like paperclips and connecting blocks, to measure the length of different objects around the classroom. We also learnt how to use just one of these units, for example one paperclip, to measure the length of objects using the 'make, mark and move' strategy. In Week 5, we studied multiplication and division. We looked at using groups and rows to represent multiplication sums and word problems, and we also shared an amount into equal groups to represent division sums and word problems. In Science, Year 1 finished making their zoos. We spent some time looking at which animals could be grouped together based on their external features, and which animals couldn’t be grouped together. We looked at three examples of zoo layouts: one that wasn’t very good, one that was good and one that was excellent. We discussed the qualities of each of the layouts, categories for the animals, and how the students could make their zoo layout just as great as the 'excellent' one! The students then got to draw a plan of their map before finalising the design and layout, adding their animals before taking Miss Payton on a tour!
To acknowledge NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week last week, Yr 1 viewed a short Powerpoint presentation about the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our Australian culture. We completed dot paintings of Australian animals, and we have included pictures of our art-making in this newsletter.
Year 2
Year 2 have worked extremely hard over the last two weeks. I would like to thank Mrs Francis for teaching Year 2 will I was on leave.
In Religion the children enjoyed investigating St Paul’s first missionary journey and creating a timeline of St Paul’s life.
In English the students have been working creatively on writing their narratives. Some of their sizzling starts are amazing. The children have been very creative in coming up with fabulous complications and resolutions. We have some potential authors in our room. We are working hard at being able to use speech marks correctly within our narratives.
Over the last two week the children have covered 2D shapes in Mathematics where they had to identify the properties of each shape; had fun flipping, sliding and turning shapes and recording results; painting symmetrical pictures and drawing mirror images. They also worked with fractions learning how to identify fractions of a group of objects.
In Health the students have identified the different food groups and explored how eating healthy foods and drinks can benefit their health and wellbeing. They also role played positive personal hygiene practices and discussed the consequences for choosing not to maintain good practices.
Year 3
Year 4
In Religion, we completed our unit on the Hebrew Scriptures. We looked at the various genres of writing in the Old Testament and determined which category various parts of scripture belonged in. We also looked at the history of the writing of the Bible. It was an interesting topic with some challenging activities. We are now learning about Advent and Christmas. We are starting by looking at the history of Advent over the centuries.
In English, as part of our story, Tears in the Jungle by brothers Daniel and William Clarke, we investigated aspects of Indonesia and where it is situated on the world map in relation to Australia. We also compared populations of Indonesia and Australia, size of the countries and the climate and vegetation. We completed our own story for “Where the Forest Meets the Sea” and it looks very impressive on our back wall!
We have been practising Public Speaking and our skills are developing well. We know it is important to speak to the audience and not read our speech. Everyone has been supportive of one another, offering great suggestions and advice.
In Science, we have continued to study the many living things in our world. We had fun working on the computer last week on a site called “Garden Detectives”. With a partner we researched various garden creatures. We drew each creature then we described their appearance, features and movement.
In Music, we learnt a song from east Timor called, “Oh Hele Le”. It was fun singing in another language and dancing to the words in the traditional way. Our task this week is to create our own movements for the song.
We had so much fun meeting our Kinder Buddies, over the last two weeks! We cannot wait for 2021!
Year 5/6
The amazing descriptive, persuasive writing that is being produced in 5/6 this term continues to surprise.
One task in the last couple of weeks was to write the blurb for a real estate agent to sell a house, using images like these.
Here are some examples of their work.
This gourmet kitchen, with brilliant sunlight and a fantastic living space, has dining right next to you. Georgie
A generously spaced living area, which is the modernistic heart of the home, tied in with an amazingly crafted gourmet kitchen. Deacon
This generous living room, with a beautiful dining table, astonishingly modern furniture, and lovely plants, is almost certain to please you. Lachlan
A peaceful and lovely room that is too beautiful to say no to, extreme quality at your fingertips. Ari
A lovely and cosy area, with a lounge room dining area and kitchen, with a stunning window to catch the gorgeous sunrise and sunset. Annalise
A generous dining, living room with the stunning sunrise just outside your window. Ewan
A gourmet kitchen, perfectly positioned in a generous living area, with an idyllic space that will most certainly impress your guests. Olivia
Here are the descriptions for another house. Can you picture it? The image will be revealed next newsletter…
This home is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The home can see the sunset from every angle. All rooms are cosy and perfectly positioned with only the sound of the melodic birdsong to disrupt you. Also within the boundary is an exceptionally large shed that can be the one you’ve been looking for. Logan
This cosy home is just perfect for you with its unique style and its stunning shed made for the most amazing projects. With its beautiful windows, you can see the idyllic landscape from every room. Just being there, you can feel the glory of each season. The area around is your own peaceful paradise. This could be your dream home. Bree
This delightful, uniquely structured home is one of the world’s wonders and is also right in the middle of the land's beautiful features. You could think of this to be a perfect renovation opportunity with all the trees surrounding you, plus you will never be cold in winter as you’ve got firewood to spare. This luxurious home is filled with windows to see the bush views and see how it spreads out across the land. You will get to feel all the seasons in their glory throughout the year. Don't miss the chance to purchase this lovely home. Bailey
An outstanding, rare, one of a kind home that will definitely bring tears to your eyes, with beautiful nature surrounding your home. A peaceful area with no one around. Maria
As you drive into nature’s home, you see hundreds of trees. You have a generous plot of land to do whatever you want! When you walk into your beautifully designed home, you feel the cool breeze drawing through the house. Nobody is on the road, as if you’re all alone. Levi
With this unique structure of a home, you will never be able to leave it. This beautifully built home gives you a taste of each season, free air conditioning and a great view of sunrise and sunset. This unique home is exceptionally far away from any loud noises, making it very peaceful. Elsie
A perfectly positioned cottage. When driving you can see the road reaching out into the distance. Around it, there is a never-ending landscape of trees that surrounds you. Just minutes away from local shops and schools, experience all 4 seasons from every corner of the house, and the refreshing breeze that comes through, fills your house up with fresh air. You will be blown away by this lovely constructed cottage. Julian
When you arrive in this beautifully landscaped neighbourhood, you will be pleased that you decided to come and look at this house. It is beautifully nestled, with your neighbour far, far away. There's a beautiful shed just waiting to be your workman's paradise. You won't believe how peaceful this neighbourhood is. You won't be able to hear anything, not even birds. You will be delighted with this house. Buy it before anyone else does. Sam
As you drive down the deserted, quiet road, a home shines as it awaits a lovely owner. The astonishing antique timber, with a rustic coloured tin roof, shelters you from all weather. You have a gorgeous view of the acres of land beyond the eye can see. The high ceilings above you lets the cool breeze comfort you. The crafty people have a personalised space out the back, with your very own forest of trees, with the best firewood waiting to be used, to warm you up on those chilly nights. El
This house is uniquely designed just for you. The cosy space lets you hear the birdsong in the morning. This outstanding home will leave you speechless. Not that far away, is a shed, a worker's paradise. This stunning backyard will have endless space for alfresco dining. It’s just minutes away from local schools and shops. Archie
| Kinder | Sophia T, Thea W, Billy F |
| Year 1 | Toma V, Madelyn M, John H, Grace G, |
| Year 2 | Maxwell W, Lilly W, Shammah N |
| Year 3 | Max G, Summer P, Jinior H |
| Year 4 | Marley B, Harry F, Finlay B |
| Year 5/6 | Deacon W, Breanna M, El Wardrop |
| Principals | |
| Captains | |
| Lexia Awards | Isabella T, Billy F, Brian K, Gibson F, Joyce H |
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday
| Kindergarten | |
| Year 1 | Daniel Z |
| Year 2 | |
| Year 3 | Indigo H |
| Year 4 | |
| Year 5/6 | Georgina H |
Congratulations and we hope you had a happy day
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