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PENTECOST SUNDAY - The birthday of the Church
This weekend, the Church celebrates her birthday - as we celebrate when the disciples first received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This special feast is referred to as the Church’s birthday, as this is when the Apostolic Church was born. This was through the disciples being gifted with the Holy Spirit. As Catholics, we believe in the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and it is through the Holy Spirit that we receive the grace and strength to live our lives according to God’s will.
Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit is a great source of comfort and hope for us as Catholics. The Holy Spirit is not just an abstract concept, but a real and present force in our lives. When we receive the Sacraments, particularly Baptism and Confirmation, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and become part of the Body of Christ.
Finally, Jesus tells his disciples that he will not leave them as orphans, but will come to them. This is a powerful reminder that even when we feel alone or abandoned, God is always with us. Through the Holy Spirit, we are connected to God and to one another as members of the Body of Christ.
We particularly remember those children in our prayers, who have begun their preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation - where they will each receive the gift of the Holy Spirit - The Advocate. May they each come to know that the Holy Spirit is always with us to guide, nurture and protect.
Dear Parents and Carers,
The month of May is traditionally the month associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus. As such, it is a very appropriate month for celebrating the great gift of all mothers. On behalf of the students and staff, I would like to wish all the mothers in the Our Lady Help of Christians community a very happy Mother’s Day, for last Sunday. The special love that a mother can give is always appreciated, but not always as acknowledged as it should be.
Mother’s Day is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s a celebration of the profound bond between mother and other special women and a child—a bond rooted in love, sacrifice, and unwavering support. It’s a special day to express gratitude for the countless sacrifices these women make each day to ensure the well-being and happiness of their families.
In the spirit of our Catholic faith, we recognize that motherhood is a sacred calling, one that reflects the selfless love of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like Mary, these special women embody qualities of compassion, patience, and faith, serving as beacons of light and love in our lives.
As we honour mothers and special women everywhere, let us take a moment to reflect on the blessings they bring into our lives. Whether it is through a warm embrace, a comforting word, or a reassuring smile, they have a way of making the world a brighter, more beautiful place. We also remember with love those mothers who are no longer physically with us, who are now enjoying their eternal reward.
A PRAYER FOR OUR MOTHERS
Lord, thank you for all our mothers.
For the new ones, who endure sleepless nights with infants in their arms.
For the busy ones, who juggle the pressures of home and family life.
For the steadfast ones, who nurture and care for our special vulnerable children.
For the patient ones, who always seek to forgive and engage with their pre-teens.
For the persistent ones, who cleverly find new ways to connect with their mini-adults.
For the mother aunts, who step in to cradle and care for nieces and nephews.
For all grandmas, who love and support their precious grandchildren.
For the foster mums that are called to gather and cover the fragile ones.
For the Sunday mums who care for our children and lead them in faith.
For the mums who give far beyond their own resources, who overcome disability to cherish and love.
Thank You Lord, for all our beautiful mothers. Help us to support them and keep them in our prayers.
May you bless them now and always on their special day. Amen.
Enjoy some pictures in this newsletter of our beautiful Mothers Day liturgy.
Jane Webb
PRINCIPAL
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers and grandmothers for last Sunday. We hope you had a special day surrounded by the love of your family. The students enjoyed picking out the perfect gift for you from our Mother's Day stall last week. A huge thank you is expressed to the P&F committee members for their work, planning and organising for this.
WINTER UNIFORM
As of this week, all students are expected to wear their full school winter uniform. This requires students to wear a tie and their school jumper if they are cold (the jumper must be worn as the first layer of warmth). The sports jacket is only to be worn with the sports uniform. The girls can choose to wear either grey tights or long grey socks with their winter uniform. As the weather gets colder, some students choose to wear a parka, scarves, gloves and beanies to and from school. This is acceptable as long as they are school colours (maroon or grey) and they must be removed in the classroom. Thank you for your ongoing support with following the OLHC School Uniform. The pride that the students take in wearing their school uniform correctly is a reflection of your support.
PB4L
The PB4L focus for this week has been the expectations for Flag Raising on Monday morning. The teachers have revised these expectations with the students this week and I’m sure we will continue to see how well the students follow the school rules during this time next Monday morning. Please see the poster below that is displayed in each classroom to outline the expectations for all students at Flag Raising.
The House Points have restarted for Term 2 and congratulations to Rose house who are currently in first place. The current House Point tally is listed below. The students will continue to be 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.
1st - Rose (501 points)
2nd - MacKillop (479 points)
3rd - Sarkis (367 points)
4th - Ingham (352 points)
Tell Them from Me Survey
Thank you to the parents who have already completed this survey in order to share with us your valuable feedback to inform our future direction in terms of student learning and wellbeing. Information in relation to this survey has been shared with all parents via Compass stating:
This term all schools in the Wollongong diocese will survey the voice of parents, staff and students via the 'Tell Them from Me' survey. This survey is designed to provide feedback of your experience of our school and is an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process. It will provide important feedback which continues to inform our work in designing improvement priorities that are responsive to the needs of our school community.
We value the role of parents and carers within our school community and would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Our Lady Help of Christians.
This survey is anonymous, voluntary and you may skip questions that you are not comfortable answering.
It will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You can access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the following URL Link:
http://tellthemfromme.com/3hthf
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 |
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Friday 24 May |
Feast Day commences at 9.30am with a Liturgy followed by open classrooms and picnic. |
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Tuesday 28 May |
Diocesan Primary Cross Country Championships Nowra, arrive at school 6.45am for 7am departure. |
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Wednesday 29 May |
Years 1 and 2 walk to Duck Pond excursion, (see Compass Events for online permission) |
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Thursday 30 May |
5M Parish Mass at 9am P&F Disco in school hall Infants 5pm to 6pm Primary 6.30pm to 8pm |
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Friday 31 May |
Mackillop Football (Soccer) Trials - Rep Students only 3M Reconciliation at 9am |
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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 - Co - Curricular, Merit and Awards 2pm in hall, all welcome |
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Wednesday 26 June |
Semester One school reports released in Compass |
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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 |
Kinder Interviews for 2025
It has been a wonderful opportunity to commence meeting Kinder 2025 families as they attend an enrolment interview. These interviews are a great chance for Fr Sarkis and I to hear why parents are choosing to enrol their child at a Catholic school.
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 Catholic identity.
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 application form. We are very grateful to parents who recommend our school to friends and family members.
Please use the following link in order to complete an enrolment form -
Contacting your child’s teacher
We value the strong home-school partnership that we have at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Primary School. Next to high quality instruction in the classroom, our partnership stands as one of the most significant factors in a child’s education. We want to ensure that we have an open and highly collaborative relationship with all our parents and that our communication is strong. In addition, we want to address any concerns you may have over the course of the year in a positive, constructive, and reasoned manner.
Parents have three ways to communicate with teachers, via: -
- telephone via the school office where you can leave a message
- email to the school info account - info@olhcdow.catholic.edu.au with your child’s teacher in the subject line and
- face-to-face meetings.
Email has become a preferred choice of communication in our society because it is fast and convenient. However, this technology has its drawbacks, especially for our teaching staff. Emails have added to everyone’s workload and have led to an expectation for a turn-around time that might not be possible. With this in mind, we would like to clarify the guidelines for what is effective and appropriate in terms of communication using email.
The Realities -
- The teachers’ top priority during the school hours is working directly with the children. As such, the classroom environment does not allow teachers to check their emails regularly. In most cases, teachers check and respond to emails before and after school.
- Teachers are sometimes unavailable because of meetings, illness, conferences, or training sessions, which will delay their response.
- Teachers devote considerable time before and after school developing lesson plans, preparing for daily activities, marking work, and reviewing the curriculum that must be taught.
Considerations -
- Timing. Please remember the classroom environment and the complexity of a teacher’s day. If you do not receive an immediate answer to your e-mail, it doesn’t mean you are being ignored or the matter is not important. A teacher will typically respond within 24 hours and between 8:00am and 5:00pm.
- What is the goal? Please consider your goal in communicating with the teacher. If your purpose is to share information or give the teacher time to think about an issue, an email is appropriate. However, if you would like two-way dialogue on a complex issue, email is not appropriate. Please consider a request for a face-to-face meeting or phone call.
- Volume - Each teacher has over 20 students in their classroom. Please consider how many emails teachers could potentially receive throughout the day from parents.
Assessment and Reporting -
This term, all parents from Kindergarten - Year Six will receive a Semester One (Term One and Two) report. This report will provide parents with the opportunity to focus on the aspects of learning where your child has made learning gains as well as areas for future learning growth.
These reports are released to parents via COMPASS. Following from this, it is highly recommended that parents attend a Parent Teacher interview. This is where parents meet with the classroom teacher and the report can be further discussed, these will occur in the last week of this term. This is to support your child’s learning gains and growth.
More information will be provided in relation to the features of this Semester One report in future newsletters.
TAKING LEAVE DURING THE SCHOOL TERM - REQUEST FOR EXTENDED LEAVE 10 to 100 days
Holidays/travel during school time (If exceeding 10 days require a separate application for leave form (from 10 – 100 days) and must be completed prior to the travel dates)
- misadventure or unforeseen event.
- participation in special events not related to the school.
- domestic necessity such as serious illness of an immediate family member.
- attendance at funerals; and,
- recognised religious festivals or ceremonial occasions.
This approval needs to be prior to departure and provide enough time for the school office to process the approval for leave.
Please also provide all relevant travel documentation, so that Mrs Webb can use this as part of the leave approval process.
It is important to note that student attendance data is taken into consideration during this approval process.
See link to our website for Extended Leave form:
10 day extended leave formASSEMBLY
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Principals Awards |
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Class |
Student Name |
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1M |
Alessandra MONCADA |
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1M |
Georgia MCINTYRE-WORMALD |
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1M |
Jacob QUEZADA AYQUIPA |
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2M |
Michael SOJAN |
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2M |
Zac ODRLJIN |
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2W |
Anthony YOUSIF |
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2W |
Sarah CONNELLAN DIZON |
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2W |
Steve JIMMY |
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4M |
Teresa JIMMY |
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5M |
Isabel MARTIN |
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6M |
Makanaka KARIMUSANGO |
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6M |
Sienna ROBINSON |
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6W |
Zali LINDEN |
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:
Jacob Failla 5M, Brooklyn Kosema 2W, Alijah Meoushy 1M, Anthony Yousif 2W
Clothing Pool day changed to Friday in the interim
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 on the 28 May 2024.
Parents attention: Have you check Compass calendar and school website
For parents to keep up to date with important events such as, assemblies, excursions, term dates, etc. Please look at Compass calendar in the App and/or our school website.
Having trouble getting on to COMPASS? - If you are still experiencing access issues, please call the school office.
OLHC – Cross Country
We would like to wish the following students who have made it to the next round of championships that will be held at Nowra on Tuesday 28 May 2024. We wish those student the best for the day ahead and thank them for representing our school.
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Cross Country Representatives |
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Charlotte Abrahams |
Amelia McGee |
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Rihanna Abranches |
Aleesha McVittie |
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Orlando Arias |
Andre Meoushy |
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Ella Burke |
Amelia Meoushy |
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Abigail Crawford |
Leandro Moncada |
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Jarrod Crawford |
Roman Oraz |
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Alexis Dellis |
Robbie Ribicic |
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Austin Dellis |
Luka Ribicic |
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Alicia Dowds |
Eloise Soriano |
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Josie Klarich |
Riley Tabone |
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Zali Linden |
Hayden Tabone |
Sport Gala Day nominations due 17 May 2024 see Compass Events
Each year our school enters Wollongong Diocesan Gala Days in various sports. Students from Year 3 to Year 6 are eligible to participate. These days are non-competitive and are designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports. It is not compulsory for students to enter Gala Days but each year we find that more and more students would like to participate so we need to try and fill teams in a fair and equitable way.
Below is a list of the Gala Days OLHC is intending to participate in during 2024. If your child would like to be considered for any or all of the Gala Days below they should rank their choices in order of preference by Friday 17th May 2024 in Compass events. Please note Gala Days are an additional cost and are not included in school fees.
Gala Day Dates:
Netball Gala Day - Friday 28th June 2024
Soccer Gala Day - Friday 23rd August 2024
Basketball Gala Day (Year 3 & 4) - Thursday 19th September 2024
Basketball Gala Day (Year 5 & 6) - Friday 20th September 2024
OLHC School Disco - Volunteers required
A school volunteer induction is required to be completed, if you have not previously completed this, or are unsure then please contact the school to organise.
PARISH APP
Dates for Sacraments