OLOG eNewsletter Term 1 Week 6

Dear Parents and Caregivers

With the halfway point of Term 1 now behind us, we continue to maintain a strong focus on student learning and engagement. It has been wonderful to see the students continue to settle so quickly into their learning and rigour of school life.

Throughout 2024 we are focusing on developing and providing Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS). This is an essential framework that is being implemented at OLOG to cultivate a harmonious, safe and inclusive learning environment for everyone. We are promoting positive behaviours and attitudes, PBS encourages students with a listening heart to be respectful, responsible, safe and strive to do their best. This comprehensive approach benefits not only individual students but also our entire school community. 

At its core, PBS focuses on proactive strategies that discourages challenging behaviours by teaching and reinforcing positive alternatives. By setting clear expectations for behaviour, we create a shared understanding of what it means to be respectful, responsible, safe and give your best effort. These expectations serve as guiding principles that help students navigate their interactions and actions throughout their learning journey. 

Respect is a fundamental aspect of PBS at OLOG and is part of the OLOG Way. Students are encouraged to value and appreciate the diversity of individuals. Respectful behaviour involves active listening, valuing different perspectives, and treating others’ belongings and personal space with care. By promoting respect, it fosters a culture of inclusivity and encourages students to embrace and learn from their differences. 
 

70’s P&F Celebration

What a wonderful 70’s celebration had by parents. It was an evening of colour, great costumes and an opportunity to celebrate our identity, past and present. We thank you for the support for this special occasion. Thank you especially to Kerri, Maddie and Natasha for gathering generous donations towards the raffles. What a great occasion to celebrate together. Thank you to everyone for your huge support towards the success of the OLOG 70’s celebration.
 

NAPLAN

In week 8 and 9 of the term, our Year 3 & 5 learners will take part in the annual NAPLAN testing window.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Throughout the NAPLAN week, students will complete four tests: Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy. The window for testing will begin on Wednesday 13th March and finish on Monday 25th March. If your child is away during this time, they will be given an opportunity to make up these tests on their return to school. Results will be forwarded out to families later in the year.

NAPLAN testing assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum and should be treated as just another routine event on the school calendar. Teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance throughout the testing process. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program, and to advise them to simply do the best they can on the day.

The Australian Curriculum Assessment & Reporting Authority have a dedicated website you can visit to find out more.

Click HERE to find out more.

If you have any further questions or queries about the NAPLAN process, please contact your classroom teacher to discuss this further with them.

Classroom Pulse Check Survey

Each term all students at OLOG participate in the Classroom Pulse Check. The purpose of the Classroom Pulse Check In is to find out how students are feeling about their experience of school and their wellbeing.  Students will participate in the Classroom Pulse Check throughout Weeks 5 and 6 of each term. 

Our aim is simply to “check in” with our students and measure how they are feeling. Your child’s responses will help us to identify any potential social, emotional or learning needs that they may have or what could possibly be impacting upon their ability to thrive and learn.

As you can see below, there are a range of simple questions about your child’s life at school, their identity as a person and a learner, their sense of belonging, safety, and friendships.

For each statement, students will select whether they feel it applies to them “most of the time,” “sometimes” or “not very often.” Students in Reception – Year 3 will have emojis alongside the options to help them identify their feelings.

A sample of the Check In can be found HERE.

Please ask your child about the Classroom Pulse Check In and whether there were any concerns about their participation and contribution towards the questions. I also encourage you to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss the Classroom Pulse Check In. Teachers also spend time and follow up with children and their participation in the Classroom Pulse Check In.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you require any further clarification.

Announcing Our New Student Leaders

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new House Leaders and Student Voice Leaders. This morning, these outstanding students were informed and acknowledged for their dedication and commitment to leadership.

Student Voice Leaders:

• Jimmy Newbold
• Alice Thorpe
• Shayaan Ali
• Solara Goviden
• Jasmin Gilles
• Iyla Gracin
• Lewis McCheane

House Captains:

Sienna:
Jaylien Fridmanis
Flynn Black

Aza:
Mitchell Dymmott
April Prasai

Dominic:
Jackson Ferres
Rayza Shrestha

McKillop:
Max Adami
Christine Chong

Please note that Library Leaders will be finalized from the Year 5 cohort shortly.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these exceptional students and eagerly anticipate supporting them as they embark on their leadership roles. Let us join together in celebrating their achievements and look forward to witnessing their positive impact on our school community.

Finally, this Friday we farewell Martina Fleming (Enrolments and Marketing Coordinator) as she commences maternity leave.  This is a special time in Alistair and Martina's life as they wait for the birth of their child.  We wish them both our blessings. 

Peace and Blessings

Josette Charles
Principal

Project Compassion

Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.

Leaia lives with her five children, husband, brother and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water caused Leaia a lot of worry.

Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they had to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street.

With the support of Caritas Australia's local partner, Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed at Leaia's home. She and her family now have a steady supply of clean drinking water at home. Next year, they will also have a toilet built, with the support of Caritas Samoa, which will further improve their health and living conditions.

“We are very thankful and grateful for the water tank. It has helped us so much and made our daily life easier,” Leaia said.

Watch Leaia’s Story

We encourage you to put your compassion into action and support Project Compassion through donations either through the small family boxes or the larger Project Compassion boxes. Family Project Compassion boxes can be sent with your child and put in the class office boxes during Week 9.

We will also support Project Compassion by having  a Simple Living Day on Wednesday 27th March (Week 9).

The children will have a serve of plain rice and a small bread roll for lunch to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us. We are asking for a small donation to support this cause. A gold coin donaton can be made via QKR! from next week.
 

Year 3/4 Mass

Yesterday the Year 3/4 classes celebrated Mass in the Church with Father John.

The theme for the mass was on almsgiving.

We were reminded to be kind to and share our things with others.

The children prayed for the poor and the lonely people in particular through lent, and were reminded by Jesus’ words to love others as we love ourselves.

Upcoming Masses Term 1

Year 5/6: Week 8 (20th March @ 9.15am)- Lenten Theme

Mini Vinnies

Mini Vinnies will be starting on Friday this week.

We will meet at lunch time in the Year 1/2MT Room.

Being part of Mini Vinnies allows us to put our values into action through raising awareness or fund-raising activities, whilst also developing a variety of skills and of course by having fun and building friendships.

I am looking forward to working with this enthusiastic group.

Joy and Blessings

Debbie Scuteri
APRIM/Inclusive Education Coordinator

Thank you to those families who have established 2024 payment plans or noted intention to pay up front.

If you have not yet indicated your payment method or established your plan kindly do so this week.

Reminder to families wishing to access an up front payment discount, accounts must be paid in full by 31st March.

Families with accounts not paid in full must have entered into a payment plan arrangement 

PAYMENT PLAN APPLICATION

For families wishing to access our low income fees, online applications for School Card are open now. Please click HERE to access.

If you wish to discuss your fees or payment plan arrangements don’t hesitate to contact Kerri in Finance on 8177 9100 or finance@olog.catholic.edu.au  

Monica Turci- Year 1/2 Teacher

I am thrilled to share my deep passion for literacy and the joy it brings when guiding students on their reading journey. Recognizing that every child learns uniquely, my mission as an educator is to forge strong connections with each student, allowing me to understand their individual learning styles and needs. Through this approach, I am excited to nurture their growth further by implementing the renowned InitiaLit Program.

Being a part of OLOG fills me with enthusiasm as I embark on this journey of continuous learning and development. It is my sincere goal to enhance my skills as an educator within this supportive community, ensuring that I can provide the best possible education for our students.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful community. Together, let us inspire and empower our students to reach new heights in literacy and beyond.

Aiden Brusnahan- Education Support Officer

Allow me to introduce myself – I'm Aiden Brusnahan, an Educational Support Officer (ESO) here at OLOG. My journey into education began at the University of South Australia, where I pursued my passion for teaching through the primary education course.

Originally hailing from the Northern Territory, specifically the quaint remote town of Nhulunbuy, I discovered my affinity for working with and teaching children through my involvement in rugby coaching. For the past four years, I've had the pleasure of coaching rugby at Brighton Rugby Club, starting with the U6/7's all the way up to the U14's. Every moment spent coaching has been an absolute delight!

Since joining the OLOG community, I've had the opportunity to connect with some incredible staff and students. The past month has been nothing short of fulfilling, and I'm eager to continue contributing to our collective growth and success.

Amber Mangan- Library Assistant & Education Support Officer

I am delighted to introduce myself as Amber Mangan, your new Library Assistant and Educational Support Officer (ESO). From the moment I stepped foot into this vibrant community, I have been embraced with warmth and enthusiasm, making me feel right at home.

Prior to joining OLOG, I had the privilege of working alongside children with diverse learning needs across various year levels at Government Schools. These experiences have fueled my passion for education and ignited my commitment to fostering a love for reading among students.

As an avid reader myself, I am dedicated to inspiring more children to discover the joy and wonder found within the pages of a book. I am eager to share my love for reading with our students and support them on their literary journeys.

I am truly excited to continue learning, growing, and connecting with each member of our community. Here's to an enriching and fulfilling year ahead at OLOG!

This year, Our Lady of Grace School is once again entering the Premiers Reading Challenge. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is a literacy engagement program that was introduced by the Premier in 2004 to encourage students to read more books and enjoy reading and improve children’s literacy levels.

The Challenge requires students to read 12 books between the beginning of the school year and the 6th of September (Term 3, Week 7) and fill out the Reading Record. All students from Our Lady of Grace School are strongly encouraged to participate. They can borrow books from both our school library and public libraries which strongly support the Challenge.

Students from Reception-Year 6 will be required to read 8 books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist at an appropriate literacy level. All books that are a part of the Premiers Reading List have been marked with fluoro stickers signalling appropriate literacy levels, Red for Reception – Year 2, Green for Years 3 – 5 and Yellow for Year 6 - 9. They may read 4 books of their own choice at a similar standard to the books on the list.

More information for parents and families regarding the challenge can be found at; https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/parents-families/

Once the Challenge has been concluded, awards will be given to all the children who participated and completed the challenge. Awards are determined by how many years the child has completed the challenge, rather than the year level the child is in.

We hope that you support your children through this exciting challenge. Happy reading!

Informing the school of absences

If your child is not going to be at school due to illness, or will be late due to an appointment, it is imperative that you inform the school by:

• Phoning the 24 hour student absentee phone number: 8177 9191 before 8.55am; or
• Completing the absentee form in the Audiri app; or
• By emailing the class teacher or olog@olog.catholic.edu.au

Advance Notice of Absence / absence of more than five (5) days

For advance notice of your child’s absence, please complete the Application for Exemption from School Enrolment/Attendance Form, which is available from the Front Office.

Unexplained absence

If a child is not present and the school has not received an absentee call or email by 9:30am, the office will contact parents (generally via text) to ascertain the student’s whereabouts.

If your child is late

If your child arrives after 8:55am, they will need to enter through the Front Office and be signed in manually by a parents/caregiver via the IPAD (Passtab), then go to the classroom. If this process is not followed and the student has been marked as absent, an automated text message will be generated.

Early Departure

Should any child need to leave the school grounds during school hours e.g. dental/doctor appointment, parental permission must be given. All students must be signed out at the Front Office by their parent/caregiver before leaving the school.

Hello everyone, and happy Week 6 of the term!

At OSHC, we have been focusing on children’s feedback and programming more engaging and fun activities for the children to enjoy! We are doing experiences like making slime, more outdoor play, having bubble blowing dance parties, creative craft, and more!

We are also working closely with the school to create a more seamless transition between OSHC and school time, by further embedding the OLOG way into our program.  

We would love to see all your faces in OSHC, come and join in the fun! 

Activities Coming Up:

• Autumnal Craft
• Scavenger Hunt
• Slime Making
• Cooking activities
• Making bubbles
• Dance party