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WELCOME BACK
Coming back to school after a holiday break is always a rewarding experience. It was obvious that the children were excited to see their friends and teachers and to share their stories. What was particularly pleasing about their return, was how focused the children were when back in class. Being ready to learn is very important and we encourage parents to keep doing what they are doing to keep their children optimistic about coming to school.
Whilst we have all returned happy and healthy, I ask that you be mindful of the recent tragedy that has affected one of our Diocesan schools. The incident might spark some anxiety in your children, but please know we can provide some support if you see a change in your children’s behaviour.
Have a great term everyone, and enjoy the ride.
ANZAC SERVICE
A big thanks to our School Captains that attended the ANZAC Dawn Service last week. They were most respectful and represented the school admirably. We are very proud of how you served the community and the school.
PUPIL FREE DAY
The school will be closed on FRIDAY 31 MAY. The staff will be attending a staff development day around Positive Behaviours For Learning (PB4L). We are looking at developing strategies to support behaviours that encourage learning and achieving as best we can. Watch out for updates around this in the coming weeks.
A second Pupil Free Day will be on FRIDAY 5 JULY. Children and parents will be invited to attend their Student Led Conferences as part of the Parent/Teacher Interviews.
SCHOOL PHOTOS
School photos will be taken Tuesday 4 June. The children will be in their WINTER UNIFORM (with ties). Please ensure your child is correctly dressed with only appropriate accessories.
To view packages and order online now please go to www.newcastleschoolportraits.com and enter code 410455.
PHOTO SHOOT
The Communications Team from the Diocese will be visiting next week to take new photos for us to use in our communication channels. Some children may be asked to wear or bring their Sports Uniform or their Winter Uniform so that a variety of scenarios can be covered in the photos. We already have a number families who do not wish to have their children in photos, but if you feel you don’t want your child involved, please let the school know beforehand.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
We will be celebrating the wonderful work Catholic Schools do in the education scene. CSW is from Friday 17 May to Friday 24 May. Our Captains will be attending the Diocesan launch on Friday 17 May, and we will be celebrating with a Liturgy and Open Classrooms on Friday 24 May.
KINDER 2025
The enrolment period for Kindergarten 2025 will be closing soon. We will be conducting interviews with the applicants and their families towards the end of May/early June to get a snapshot of the child to approve their application.If you are looking for enrolment for a child in Kinder for 2025, please contact Leanne in the office for enrolment packs. Also, if you know of anyone seeking a placement in Kinder next year, please pass on the school details.
The Enrolment Application is now online and can be accessed via this link:
https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolling-in-a-catholic-school-online/
HIGH SCHOOL ENROLMENT
Enrolment for Year 7 at San Clemente will be closing soon – THURSDAY 9 MAY. The enrolment Application is now online and can be accessed via the link:
https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolling-in-a-catholic-school-online/
If you are seeking enrolment at a Public or Selective High School, you are encouraged to contact that school.
ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT
Being at school is very important and missed days can make significant issues with the learning. Even regular late arrivals can add up.
One of the responsibilities of parents in this area is to provide the school with suitable excuse for a child's absence. Parents have up to seven days to provide a reason for a previously unexplained absence. From next week, parents of children who have been absent without eplanation after 7 days, will receive a letter reminding parents of the need to provide an explanation for their child's absence. Please return this to school signed for our records.
Pastoral Care
A very big thank you to all of our wonderful families who were able to donate Lego. Lego Club is up and running thanks to your generosity. The children are certainly enjoying themselves. Look at these masterpieces!
Parents and Carers are invited to use our ‘Pop Up Library'. Found just outside the front office, we currently have a range of adult novels and cook books. You may even find some fresh herbs and produce to try!
PLAYGROUP
Thanks those that came along to our first gathering last Monday. we are looking forward to seeing some new faces next week who said they couldn't make it. The activity is every Monday morning after liturgy till 10.30am. Come along and have a chat while the children have an opportunity to interact.
VINNIES SLEEPOUT
Our primary children will be invited to participate in our Vinnies Sleepout on THURSDAY 13 JUNE. The rest of the school will be invited to come dressed in their PJ’s on FRIDAY 14 JUNE. Stay tuned for more details.
In Term 2, students in Year 2 and Year 4 will participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).
This test evaluates students' reasoning abilities in three key areas essential for success in school:
1. Verbal Battery: Assesses students' ability to reason with words and concepts, crucial for reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and verbal learning tasks.
2. Quantitative Battery: Measures students' ability to reason with quantitative symbols and concepts, which are vital for problem-solving in mathematics and other disciplines.
3. Nonverbal Battery: Evaluates students' ability to reason with geometric shapes and figures, requiring them to implement strategies for solving novel problems.
These batteries provide a comprehensive view of each student's learned reasoning abilities, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement. CogAT aims to support differentiated practice in education by helping teachers adapt instruction to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student.
It's important to note that CogAT scores are not integrated into report grades or other conventional measures of school achievement. The focus is on tailoring instruction and fostering a supportive, inclusive learning environment based on each child's ability.
If you have any concerns or questions about your child's academic progress or specific educational needs, please schedule a meeting with your child's teacher. They will discuss your child's strengths and areas for growth based on various assessments. Additionally, you can contact me - teagan.payton@mn.catholic.edu.au or our Education Officer - Gifted Education, Maree Karaka (maree.karaka@mn.catholic.edu.au) for further assistance.
Thank you for your continued support in ensuring the best educational outcomes for our students.
Teagan Payton - Gifted Education Mentor
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
How Is It So?
At the end of Term 1 Year 6 students were given the opportunity to investigate ideas about friction and air resistance. As well as predicting, designing and planning how a parachute uses air resistance to fall, they worked in teams to create a stomp rocket using a variety of materials to test air resistance. Students were also able to demonstrate their understanding of specific forces through exploration. This involved setting up and playing a game of mouse- trap in collaborative learning teams. They were able to explain how to play the game and described different forces acting on objects.
Creative Arts
Congratulations and Thank You!
A huge thank you to the students and staff team at OLV and everyone that were able to attend the Art Exhibition featuring the artist, Andy Warhol.
It was extremely rewarding as a teacher to see the students share their work with their families. I have to say I am still amazed at the quality of artwork completed by the students and the sheer volume of artwork completed by everyone.
Music is the focus during Term 2. I am hoping again to showcase what the students can do later in the term. Keep your eyes out for more details.
Mark Fren – Creative Arts Teacher
DIO CROSS COUNTRY
We had a great day of participation at our school Cross Country last term. There were some very impressive runners and 7 children have been selected to represent the school at the Diocesan Cross Country Trials t be held on 15 May. Well done to: Gibson F, Lily P, Annabelle H, Max B, Benjamin T, William T, & Maxwell W.
WELL DONE children and good luck.
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
A reminder that our school athletics carnival will be held on Thursday 20 June.
| Kinder |
Hamish T- for being able to identify beginning sounds of given pictures. Bruce C- for being able to identify dot patterns. |
| Year 1 |
Florence C - for demonstrating her ability to grow in confidence in her daily tasks. William H - for working hard on growing his mindset and seeing what he can achieve when he applies himself to all areas of learning. Elizabeth K - for being a confident and independent member of our class. Nicholas O - for enthusiastically embracing new learning experiences and relishing in challenges. |
| Year 2 |
All of Year 2 – putting on two fabulous liturgies and reading beautifully! |
| Year 3 |
Jemima K- for her kindness and determination to make everyone in our class feel valued. Ruby B - For demonstrating a positive mindset and taking on new challenges in and outside the classroom. Allison A- For fearlessly tackling challenges in her learning journey and excelling as a problem solver. Maksim S- For his demonstration of enthusiasm during his science project presentation. Great Job Maksim! Christopher H- For his consistent work ethic and positive approach to his learning. |
| Year 4 |
Evan S – his inquisitive attitude towards his learning. Erleen S – her outstanding commitment to learning her times tables and completing thechallenge. Annabelle H – her improved attitude towards class learning tasks. Elsa S – her outstanding results in the times tables challenge – Keep it up! |
| Year 5 |
Pippa M - for writing an excellent hypothesis during our science lesson thisweek. Luka S - for including outstanding ideas in his narrative writing. Gabi K - for her excellent processing skills during mathematics lessons. Isziah L - for showing an improved commitment during all learning areas. |
| Year 6 |
Dylan S - for gaining in confidence, especially as a school leader when running school assemblies, and trying to adopt an “I can do it” approach to his work. Well done! Clayton S - for showing empathy towards his peers and teachers, and for making great decisions in class and on the playground. There are lots of people that are proud of you. Maxwell W - for demonstrating what it takes to be a great school leader and for ready to help out in any extra school activities when needed. Michelle A - for seeking help, support and clarification on class tasks, and not being afraid to ask for help. Great work, Michelle. |
| V & M Awards |
Kindergarten: Ted M for always being very caring towards his fellow classmates. Year 1: Ivy S for being kind, caring and sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others. Year 2: Caleb Sporne for always being polite and friendly to others! Year 3: Year 4: Audrey S for being a kind friend and a responsible class member. Year 5: Max B for being the first person to volunteer to help with any jobs. Year 6: Millie Hughes for living the School’s Mission Statement by her words and actions, and for her kindness to all students and teachers. The school is lucky to have you at OLV. |
| EALD Awards |
Brian K – for his amazing work inhis measurement research task Jesa S – for her positive andenthusiastic approach to all learning tasks Nikita P – for always being a kind and responsible member of OLV |
| Lexia Awards |
Gianna D - Level 3 |
MOTHER’S DAY
We will be celebrating our Mothers next week with breakfast and mass on Friday next week (10 May). Breakfast will be available from 7:30am to 8:30am. Mass will be celebrated with the parish community at 9:00am. After Mass, you are invited to spend some time with your children making a small craft item to celebrate your special day.
We will be holding our Gift Stall on Monday next week. Orders can be made through QKR. Orders close on sunday 5/5/24.
ENGAGEMENT GROUP MEETING
We had another successful Engagement Group meeting last Monday with 14 parents and teachers meeting F2F on online. There was some great discussion and we had input from Mrs Dunn explaining how we are going to promote our new Vision and Mission Statements in the community.
We discussed the Canteen and how to move forward. Renee has kindly raised her hand to "oversee" the Canteen coordinate stock etc. We will still use the volunteer timetable sent home yesterday, and parents can add their names at anytime.
Some fundraising events were discussed which included the Mother's Day Stall, Disco, Family Photos, Sock Drive. Information on these and other events will come as the time draws nearer.
Parents should receive a whole term planner this week to "stick on the fridge". Please let us know if you didn't receive one.
If you have any concerns that you think would make good discussion points for these meetings, please free to send them via the admin email (admin@shortland.catholic.edu.au ) or pop a note into the old P&F Letter box in the foyer.
It was decided that we would continue in the dual mode of F2F and TEAMS every 4th Monday at 7pm. Our next meeting will be on MONDAY 27 MAY.
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday.
| Kindergarten | |
| Year 1 | Sadie S |
| Year 2 | |
| Year 3 | |
| Year 4 | |
| 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: