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REMEMBERING BISHOP PETER INGHAM - REST IN PEACE
Peter William Ingham, the fourth bishop of Wollongong, died peacefully in the late evening of 26 April 2024. He was 83 years of age and almost 60 years a priest.
We pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Ingham, who was a faithful servant of the Lord. As well as being a Priest and Bishop, Bishop Peter Ingham also was dedicated to several committees of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Also, in 2022, Bishop Peter was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia by the late Queen Elizabeth II for “significant service to the Catholic Church in Australia”.
At OLHC, one of our school House colours (Red), is named after Bishop Peter Ingham. This will serve as a reminder that he was Bishop at the time that the school was in its infancy. Bishop Peter was installed as the fourth Bishop in the Diocese of Wollongong in July 2001.
Many young adults, parents and family members will remember with fondness the warmth and welcoming, happy and caring nature that was evident in his engagement with each person.
He was compassionate and approachable, faith-filled and prayerful—in essence, a servant leader.
Eternal Rest Grant unto him O Lord. May perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in eternal peace.
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the commencement of the second term. I hope that the recent school holiday break provided some time for you to spend time with loved ones and enjoy the change of pace.
ANZAC Day each year is a special time to remember those that served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of the ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, sacrifice, bravery, service, mate ship and resilience continue to have both meaning and relevance for our national identity.
Last Thursday, on ANZAC Day, OLHC was represented at the annual Campbelltown ANZAC Day March and Service. This annual gathering acknowledges the veterans and those who have served so that we can experience the freedom that we enjoy today.
The students were exemplary in their behaviour and very publicly demonstrated our important school value of respect. Thank you to those members of our school community who were able to join with members of the wider community to pause, reflect and remember.
Lest We Forget.
KINDERGARTEN 2025 INTERVIEWS
As we begin this term together it is essential that we do so with a positive attitude towards all that the next 10 weeks will hold in store for us.
Over the next few weeks, both Fr Sarkis and I will be involved in Kindergarten enrolment interviews. Conducting these interviews, especially with parents who attend for the enrolment of their child is a wonderful privilege.
In our conversations with families one of the topics touched upon is the motivation behind choosing Our Lady Help of Christians as the school for their child. In outlining the reasons behind their willingness to apply for enrolment at Our Lady Help of Christians, the conversation often centres on the fundamental differences between the choice of a Catholic School, such as Our Lady Help of Christians, and other schools in the area. Our surrounding area is blessed with many quality schools. All strive to be places of quality learning and teaching, and all follow the common curriculum provided by NESA. We are alike in so many ways. The fundamental difference however, is reflected in our Culture of Catholicity.
Our school actively promotes, teaches and celebrates our Christian faith and our Catholic traditions. Supporting this identity must be a conscious choice that is made by parents seeking a Catholic education. The role of faith formation of children is primarily the responsibility of the parent with support from the school through the teaching of Religious Education and contribution within the wider parish community.
We keep these children and their families in our prayers as they make the important conscious decision for a Catholic education. Please continue to encourage those seeking enrolment to complete an online application form available on our school website. We are very grateful to parents who recommend our school to friends and family members.
Jane Webb
PRINCIPAL
House Points Winner
Congratulations to Sarkis House who were the winning house in Term 1. The House Points have restarted for Term 2 and the first house point tally will be announced next Monday morning, at Flag Raising. House Points will continue to be counted each week and students are awarded house points for following the school rules (both in the classroom and on the playground), wearing the correct uniform, completing their homework and for borrowing from the library.
Our PB4L focus this week has been Playground 3. The students have enjoyed using this playground space for the first time this year and having the extra space to run around and play on. The rules and expectations for this playground space have been explicitly taught this week. Please see the poster that is displayed in each classroom to outline the expectations for all students when using this playground space.
Tell Them From Me Survey
This term we will be seeking feedback from parents, teachers and students about their experiences with our school. It involves the completion of a survey titled, Tell Them From Me and all schools in our diocese will be using this survey to collect valuable feedback in order to help us improve. This survey is anonymous and voluntary and the results will be combined, therefore it will not be possible to single out one person’s comments. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing. There will be more information and the survey link posted via Compass over the coming week.
Alison Fazio
Assistant Principal
Diary dates are published on our website home page. You can also check Compass calendar and the events tab.
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Monday 20 May |
Kindergarten Excursion to Calmsley Hill Farm (further detail in Compass events closer to date) Year 6 Leadership day in St Joachim Hall |
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Tuesday 21 May |
Kindergarten 2025 Interviews |
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Wednesday 22 May |
Sorry Day Liturgy, Minto (selected students attending) |
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Friday 24 May |
Feast Day commences at 9.30am with a Liturgy followed by open classrooms and picnic. Assembly - Merit and Awards 2pm in hall, all welcome |
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Thursday 30 May |
P&F Disco in school hall Infants 5pm to 6pm Primary 6.30pm to 8pm |
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Friday 7 June |
Assembly - Merit and Awards 2pm in hall, all welcome |
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Monday 10 June |
Kings Public Holiday |
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Thursday 13 June |
Year 1 and Year 2 Excursion - Stanwell Park Beach Reserve (further details in Compass closer to the event) |
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Monday 17 June |
P&F General Meeting 7.30pm in school library |
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Friday 21 June |
Assembly - Merit and Awards 2pm in hall, all welcome |
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Wednesday 26 June |
Semester One school reports released |
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Friday 28 June |
Western Region Netball held at Minto. (further details in Compass closer to the event) |
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Monday 1 July |
Parent Teacher Interviews commence |
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Friday 5 July |
Assembly - Merit and Awards 2pm in hall, all welcome Last day of Term 2 |
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Saturday 6 July |
***** School Holidays****** |
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Monday 22 July |
Term 3 commences |
RECORDING STUDENT ABSENCES ON COMPASS
The NSW Education Act (1990) and Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) require Parents/Carers to ensure that children of compulsory school age attend school on each day that the school is open for instruction. If children are absent from school, Parents/Carers are required to provide the school with an acceptable explanation, within seven days of the absence.
After seven days, absences will automatically be recorded as Absent - unexplained / unjustified if the school is not provided with an acceptable explanation from Parents/Carers. Parents wishing to provide the school with an acceptable explanation after the seven day period, will need to contact the school and the school will adjust the attendance register.
Parents are not able to enter the absence through the parental portal in Compass after this seven day period. The school will continue to support Parents/Carers and provide Parents/Carers the opportunity to provide the school with an explanation for absences.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office should you require further information regarding using COMPASS to record student absence and uploading medical certificates.
STUDENT ACADEMIC REPORTS AND PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS - SEMESTER ONE
As we now enter into the second term, all students from Kindergarten - Year Six will receive a Semester One student academic report at the end of this term
Some changes and adjustments have been made to this report template from the Diocese of Wollongong. These changes will be communicated to parents as the term progresses. All student reports will be released via the COMPASS portal in Week Nine Term Two.
All parents have the opportunity to attend Parent Teacher Interviews with their child’s teacher to further discuss this student report and academic learning gains after the reports are released. This is also a great opportunity to discuss learning goals for students as we move into the second half of the school year. This is highly recommended to work in close partnership with teachers to ensure student learning growth is prioritised.
MEET THE DIVERSE LEARNING TEACHERS
Mrs Winnie Cameron Ms Peta Howley
At OLHC, we focus on developing interventions to support specific students in making gains with their learning. These interventions are developed and monitored by the classroom teacher. This year, we are most fortunate to have two experienced teachers that assist in meeting the diverse needs of our students. Some of these students may also have a Personalised Plan where parents are invited to meet the classroom teacher in order to discuss goals.
Mrs Cameron would be well know to many parents as she has been part of the OLHC staff for many years. Mrs Cameron works closely with allied health professionals, supporting teachers in planning student interventions and working with our team of School Support Officers (SSOs).
This term, we are joined by Ms Peta Howley. Ms Howley will be working directly with students from Years Three and Four who have a Personalised Plan. She will be supporting students with intervention plans.
ASSEMBLY
Congratulations to the following students who will be receiving a Principal's Award.
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Principals Awards |
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Class |
Student Name |
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1M |
Alijah MEOUSHY |
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1M |
Daniel NAKHLA |
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1M |
Emma PETERS |
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1M |
Leia PYLAK |
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2W |
Christian FENECH |
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2W |
Damon OCA |
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2W |
Grace KHALIFE |
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4M |
Rafqa HACHEM |
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5M |
Eloise SORIANO |
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5M |
Reina NGUYEN |
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6M |
Lea CAMOIN |
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6W |
Samuel SHAJI |
POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS FOR LEARNING (PB4L)
When students exhibit positive behaviour, by following our school rules, their name is written on a raffle ticket and is entered into a draw where two winners are selected at flag-raising on a Monday morning. The students receive a voucher for the Canteen which can be used for treats or put towards a lunch order. Congratulations to these winners:
Hunter Munoz 1M and Christiana Ayoub 1M
Winter Uniform reminder
With the change in seasons, parents are advised that two weeks grace will be provided at the commencement of Term Two. This means that depending on the weather, students are able to wear either full summer or full winter uniform from Tuesday 30th April - Friday 10th May.
Full Winter Uniform needs to be worn from Monday 13th May (Week Three Term Two).
Link to uniform policy can be found on our website under Policies, Procedures and Forms. Link to Uniform Policy
Clothing Pool day changed to Friday for the next 4 weeks
Clothing Pool will be open Friday mornings (instead of Tuesday) for the next four weeks only. It will revert to Tuesdays after the 4 week period.
Parents attention: Compass calendar and website
For parents to keep up to date with important events such as, assemblies, excursions, term dates, etc. Please look at Compass calendar on the App and/or our school website. This will ensure your child/ren does not miss out on activities at school.
Having trouble getting on to COMPASS? - If you are still experiencing access issues, please call the school office.
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL - Ribbons
Reminder, Sporting ribbons from Athletic's carnival will be handed out at our next Assembly on the 10 May 2024.
OLHC – Cross Country
We had a wonderful Cross Country day on the last day of term. The winning House was Rosa (Green) House. Congratulations!
Approximately 24 students have made it to the next round of championships that will be held at Nowra on Tuesday 7 May 2024. We wish those student the best for the day ahead and thank them for representing our school.
P&F Vice President - Expression of interest
We are looking for a new P&F Vice President. The role of the P&F Vice President includes:
- Attending meetings in person or via zoom
- Assist the P&F President and fulfils the duties of the President when they are unavailable.
You will be part of the P&F Executive and support will be provided in relation to your role. The current committee is completely new and open to new ideas and ways of doing things. If you have any interest we would love to see you attend our meeting on Monday night.
P&F Meeting - Monday 6 May 2024
Mother Day Stall 7th and 10th of May 2024
Save the dates for the two Mother's Day stalls.
PARISH APP
Dates for Sacraments
