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OLV FEAST DAY
We had a great day today celebrating the namesake of our School and Parish. It was a great community event. We celebrated with Mass at which each class participated in some way during the Liturgy. We sang and prayed with gusto and made the liturgy a terrific opportunity to praise our God and all that we have at Our Lady of Victories.
The family tabloid games which followed was a fun way to engage in some revelry and exercise to share some fun with our friends and families.
We then share a BBQ lunch to wind up our Patrons Feast Day.
For those that are not aware of the story of how our feast day came about. Click the link for a historical summary of where we got our name.
SCHOOL TV
Raising confident and happy children in a modern world can be hard work! Often one of the biggest challenges can be sourcing relevant and reliable information that you can draw on to support their wellbeing.
As such, Our Lady of Victories is excited to announce that we have recently added an award-winning resource to our school website. The resource, SchoolTV, includes evidenced-based information and practical strategies to build parent, carer and educator knowledge and confidence across a range of mental health and wellbeing topics.
The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle supported Our Lady of Victories to add SchoolTV to our website in response to feedback received from parents and carers who said they are seeking greater support in understanding the challenges their children are experiencing, as well as practical strategies for ways they can assist them.
SchoolTV features interviews with leading wellbeing experts and researchers from around the world, on topics including:
Mental Health (encompassing grief and loss, suicide and self-harm, drug and alcohol use, anxiety, trauma and depression).
Healthy Bodies (including mindfulness, body image, sleep, eating disorders, diet and nutrition, physical activity and exercise).
Cyber Safety (encompassing cyberbullying, digital reputation, internet addiction, online gambling, sexting and managing screen time).
Positive Parenting (including friendship and belonging, blended families, resilience, positive parenting and understanding adolescence).
School Survival (encompassing school refusal, school transitions and exam jitters).
Diversity and Inclusion (including multiculturalism, neurodiversity, respectful relationships, gender diversity and supporting disabled youth).
These topics are presented in a variety of ways including videos, factsheets, podcasts and SchoolTV also includes recommendations for additional resources including books, apps and other websites.
While we will continue to host parent and carer information events as a school, one of the many benefits of SchoolTV is that you can watch it pre-emptively or as the need arises, from the convenience of your own home, either by yourself or, as a family.
From time to time, we may also promote key topics contained in SchoolTV for families either through Compass or our newsletter, when they coincide with student learning and/or matters arising in our school community.
Importantly, SchoolTV complements initiatives already underway in our school including our Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care Policy and the “Wellbeing Together” Student Learning and Wellbeing Framework.
Our staff are familiar with SchoolTV, and as such, I am confident that this shared knowledge between staff and parents will assist us all in partnering together to better support children and young people’s learning, safety, mental health and wellbeing.
If you have any questions about SchoolTV, or the topics contained within the site, please get in touch with the staff listed on the site or, me directly.
Visit our SchoolTV site here:
https://shortland.catholic.schooltv.me/
YEAR 6 CAMP
Our Year 6 children will be venturing out into the world of personal challenge and adventure when they head off to the annual Year 6 camp in Week 4. They will be testing their limits of endurance and confidence as well as experiencing new activities that they might enjoy in later years. The connections and bonding will give many of them a common base with the move onto High School next year.
KINDER ORIENTATION
We start our Kinder 2024 Orientation next week when we welcome our 2024 cohort next week. Our Year 5 children have been working with Miss Slattery to develop their leadership and service skills that will be most useful in their roles as “Big Buddies”.
We look forward to welcoming the new students for the first of 4 orientations on Wednesday next week.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
A heads up for parents of our Year 6 students about their Graduation and End of Year activities. The Graduation Mass will take place on Wednesday, 13 December, in the OLV Church. This will be followed by a catered luncheon for them and their guests in the school hall.
YEAR 6 RETREAT
Year 6 will be on RETREAT on Thursday 7 December. They will be reflecting on their primary school years and imaging how their secondary school might look.
LEADERSHIP at OLV
The Year 5 children are invited to consider how they might like to be seen as leaders of OLV in 2024. They will all be expected to show leadership in all they do and involve themselves in representing and promoting the school for the rest of our school community. They will be exploring the ideals of good leadership on retreat on 16 November after which the will present themselves to the rest of the community to pursue their leadership aspirations as Captains for 2024.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
We very much encourage parents to be involved in the decision making and discussions about the things that affect their children at OLV. The immense pressures on families to be actively involved in meetings is evident as we struggle to find an Executive that manage the P&F Association.
We have been exploring moving to what the Diocese calls a "Parent Engagement Group - PEG" which basically takes the pressure off having an executive overseeing the Association. It also takes away the physical need for parents to be responsibile for the money they raise during fundraising activities. It does not remove them from the discussion and decision making of how those funds should be expended.
We currently have a weekly Cuppa & Chat (C&C) for parents to come in interact in some way and discuss issues that might arise. Parents are invited every 2nd Thursday (Not assembly week) from 2:15pm to meet with Mrs Dunn in the library for some input and organisational discussions if needed.
I would also like to meet with parents once per month after school in the same way we were for our P&F Meeting to organise and discuss any events coming up. Our first after school meeting will be Monday evening 23 October at 7:00pm mainly to discuss end of year events and other organisational matters such as Canteen and banking.
It would be great if you could come to both, but either one is fine.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
As part of the children’s Creative and Practical Arts (CAPA) program this term, they will be preparing for an end of year concert. This will be on Monday 11 December.
PARISH CAROLS
The parish is holding its Christmas Carols concert on Saturday 2 December. We will be looking for some children to be involved in presenting a song or two at this event.
REFERENDUM
Don’t forget to cast your vote tomorrow. Let’s hope the nation will make the right call.
Lower Hunter Boots and Ballgowns Fundraiser
Mcdonald Pavilion - Maitland Showground, Saturday, 28 October 2023 5:00 PM
• Dust off your boots and put on the ballgown.
• Bring the family along for a fun evening of music, dancing, food and entertainment
• Hosted by Vinnies Hunter, the Boots and Ballgowns event will raise funds to support the highly anticipated Community Hub opening in Maitland where our amazing volunteers will be delivering their much needed Community Support
• This all ages event will be catered by the amazing team from Hot Luck
• Entertainement will be by the very talented solo artist Karen Soper
• We can not forget the kids with face painting by Silly Street + lots of fun activities
• A prize will be given for the best dressed person that can show a receipt for their outfit purchased from one of our Vinnies shops.
• A raffle will be held on the night with many great prizes from local businesses including a $500 Bunnings voucher!
https://www.stickytickets.com.au/8p49x/lower_hunter_boots_and_ballgowns_fundraiser.aspx
FIRST COMMUNION
A number of children will be receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time later this term. We wish them well and look forward to them sharing fully in their faith with others in our Parish and School with the sharing of Communion with the rest of the community.
BISHOP'S VISIT
We are looking forward to hosting our new Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Michael, on Friday 8 December. He will be visiting classes and interacting with the children and staff during that morning.
SOCKTOBER
We had a great start to the Diocesan Mission Appeal last term. A wonderful afternoon was had by all students at OLV during our Mission Day stalls, all the while raising $494.50 for Catholic Mission-“Socktober” Appeal. What an amazing effort! Well done everyone!
Check out some of the great moments.
Our School Captains attended the Diocesan Launch of “Socktober” at McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday this week. It was a great launch which focused on the plight of the people of Timor Leste. The captains were invited to participate in some games on the hallowed turf of the Knights and Jets to kick around some of the makeshift "Socker"balls.
We will be focus on the plight of the people in East Timor Leste during our Mission Week in Week 3 which includes a crazy sock day on the Friday. Look out for further information via COMPASS next week.
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
In order to Volunteer at OLV you are required to complete the Volunteer Induction and be cleared by the Catholic Schools Office to Volunteer.
Please follow this link https://www.mn.catholic.org.au/people/volunteer/ and complete the steps.
EXTERNAL PROVIDERS
If your child will be seeing a provider (e.g. speech therapist or occupational therapist) this year at school, please complete the attached application form and return to school. If you require further information, please don't hesitate to contact the office.
COMPASS
OLV uses the "Compass" App. Log in details for parents/carers have been emailed to all new parents. If you are still unable to login, or your account has been made inactive, please contact Leanne in the office to arrange a reset of your password.
- For all new families please familiarise yourself with the information booklet you received in your information pack or enrolment pack, "Parent Portal Compass User Guide" This is also attached
- Only Parents/Carers have access to Compass Parent Portal. Parents must have separate email addresses in order to both have access to compass
- New Users when logging into Compass are given the opportunity to update their details. It has been noted that some parents have updated their mobile phone number by taking out the gaps within the phone number. This is not required. The system requires phones numbers to be in this format
- REMINDER: PLEASE ONLY EXPLAIN WHOLE DAY ABSENCES - PLEASE DO NOT REPORT PARTIAL ABSENCES through the Compass App. Reporting partial absences will cause inconsistences with your child's attendance
- SMS's are sent to parents of students who are absent from 9.35am each weekday morning. You will receive a text message if your child was not present during the marking the roll process. Please logon onto compass and explain your child's absence. Do not reply to the text as compass does not accept reply texts
- Please notify the office beforehand if your child is going to arrive late; you will however still receive an SMS. The arrival time of the student will be logged as an explained absence when they present to school on their arrival
- On occasion you may be sent a text message even though your child is in attendance at school, this may be because they have arrived late and not come to the Office for sign in. If your child is late, please come into the Office with your child and sign them in via the compass kiosk.
QKR APP
Part of “progress” is moving towards a cashless society. To assist with the banking, ordering and handling of money, we are moving more of our payments to the Qkr system.
You will find attached instructions for the QKR App. This easy to use phone app gives you the flexibility to place orders for Canteen and fundraisers from your phone. It also reduces the need for your child to bring cash to school. Please remember to amend your child's year group on the QKR App to aid the timely collection of their order. We will be moving to a wider usage of this app as the year progresses.
- Make sure your child matches the class they are in now. You may need to go to your account settings and change their class. This will have to be completed at the beginning of every school year
- Please do not send in a paper bag as well as ordering online; this will stop any double up of ordering
- If your child is away or sick and you have ordered their lunch, you have until 8.00 am to cancel your order on QKR and receive a credit for next time
- All ordering is now closing at 8.15 am Monday morning. This allows enough time to print out the relevant reports for our volunteer ladies
- As of Term 2 all lunch orders will only be able to be ordered through QKR. Cash on the day will only be for ice blocks, lollies and chips.
We will be looking at providing this service for other quick financial transactions such as sausage sizzles, raffles, pie drives etc,
Thaks to everyone for taking up this service.
Health Care Card
Most families have already completed the attached Health Care Card Forms and returned to the school with a copy of their Health Care Card. If you have a Health Care Card and have not handed it in please contact the Office. Health Care Cards gives up to 50% off your tuition fees.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten Overview for Term 4
Year 1 Overview for Term 4
Year 2
Year 2 Overview for Term 4
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 3 Overview for Term 4
SPORTS STAR
We need to congratulate Gemma M again as she represents the Diocese at the Polding trials in Athletics today. We are very proud of her efforts – WELL DONE, GEMMA!!
SUMMER SPORTS TRIALS
The region is looking for any talented children in Tennis and Basketball who would like to trial for selection to move onto the Diocesan selection trial. Talented children in these sports need to be in Year 4 & 5 in 2023 to be available for further selection later this term for the Diocese and in the early days of Term 1 in 2024 for Polding.
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday.
| Kindergarten | Kai P, Aubrey B |
| Year 1 | |
| Year 2 | |
| Year 3 | Audrey S, Mila C |
| Year 4 | Gabriella K |
| Year 5 | |
| Year 6 |
Congratulations and we hope you had a happy day
ST NICHOLAS OOSH Services
How to enrol for our OOSH Services:
You will be able to access the school newsletter here, special dates notifications and other messages from time to time.
Go to this link to download the Schoolzine App: