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Jesus ascended into heaven, blessing His disciples and promising that they would soon receive the power of the Holy Spirit. We, who have received that promised gift of the Spirit, especially in Confirmation, are now empowered to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth - to use our time and talents to spread the Good News of Salvation.
The Gospel ....
Next Sunday, we celebrate one of the most important feast days of our Church, the great feast of Pentecost. The word ‘Pentecost’ in Greek means, the ‘fiftieth day’. It marks the 50th day after Easter Sunday and the end of the Easter Season. In the Jewish tradition, Pentecost occurred fifty days after Passover and was a time of celebration after the harvest. After Jesus’ death the people he had been intimately connected with on a daily basis for the three years of his public ministry, his disciples, returned to their normal lives. Fear and the absence of a clear understanding of the mission ahead sent them back to the default safety of the lives they led before they met Jesus. They became people frozen by fear and uncertainty.
On the day of Pentecost, all this changed when the Holy Spirit descended on them as they were gathered together in Jerusalem. This gathering was the beginning of the first Christian church.
The Holy Spirit gave to these frozen disciples the gifts of courage, wisdom, understanding and knowledge so they could finally understand their role in continuing the mission of Jesus. The feast of Pentecost is a celebration of the harvest of the seeds of faith, because the disciples finally came to understand the significance of Jesus’ teaching.
Dear Parents and Carers,
It has been such a wonderful experience to warmly welcome back our students this week. On Monday, it was fantastic to visit classrooms and see how excited all students were to be back at school. I know that all the staff were looking forward to having the students back and resuming face-to-face teaching experiences.
It has been wonderful to welcome back all students and staff as we now return to face-to-face learning and teaching. It was great to see the excited faces on Monday morning, displaying to everyone that we are all glad to be back at school and amongst friends. Thank you to all parents and carers who have changed and modified their routines to assist our school in remaining a safe place. A special thank you to those who have spent time explaining and discussing with their children some of the new changes to our school routine. In the aim of safety, parents are not permitted to enter into the school grounds before or after school. All families are encouraged to use the Parent Pick Up at the gate near the St Anne Hall or John Therry Pick Up for collection of students in the afternoon
Parents who may need to communicate with teachers are asked to make a phone call to the school office or send an email.
Parents and care-givers are also reminded that, in the event of their child/ren being late, they should accompany their child to the office and sign them in. Please do not leave them at the front gate of the school car-park.
Finally, I would like to sincerely thank our parent community for their support and understanding during this time. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication of the OLHC staff that show commitment to providing engaging learning activities for their students.
In the next newsletter, we will provide you with some information about the Semester One Interim Report that will be distributed for students in Years One – Six via COMPASS prior to the end of term. Information will also be shared about Parent Teacher Interviews following this Interim Report. These will be either via telephone or face-to-face with your child’s teacher, dependent upon the level of social restrictions predicted for communities at that point in time.
Finally, thank you for remembering the following important points –
- No toys are to be bought to school at the current time
- All library books need to be returned to school. Library borrowing will commence again in the coming weeks
- As the bubblers are not currently in use, students need to bring with them a drink bottle
- Birthday cakes or food to share with other students, not be brought into school
- The Canteen is available for Lunch Orders at Break One – no over the counter sales.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
Jane Webb
Principal
It has certainly been wonderful to have all students back at school and in the classroom for face to face teaching this week. The teachers have enjoyed being able to engage again with their students in their classroom and recap learning and expectations from earlier in the year. We have used this week, and will continue next week, to go over all of our Positive Behaviours For Learning (PB4L) rules and expectations. It is important to refresh with the students our expectations both in the classroom and on the playground. We will revisit how we follow the school rules in the classroom, on the playground, when we move around the school and for dismissal in the afternoon.
Thank you to the parents for following our new procedures at the St Anne Gate both in the morning and in the afternoon. Please be patient in the afternoon, the teacher on duty will dismiss your children to you a few students at a time to be sure that the children are met at the gate by a parent. Please note that this new procedure also applies to older John Therry siblings on a Tuesday afternoon. We kindly ask that you let older siblings from John Therry know that as they finish early on a Tuesday afternoon that they must also wait at the St Anne Gate and their siblings will be dismissed to them for collection. Alternatively, they can wait at the John Therry zone until these students are brought up the ramp to them.
As mentioned previously, the preferred option for drop off and pick up of students is via the pick up/drop off area that goes through the carpark at the back of the Church via the John Therry grounds. Please remember that this is for drop off and pick up of students only and that you are unable to get out of your car to help with this process. This is so it runs smoothly and we avoid having a build up of cars unable to move. It helps also to remember to drive all the way to the end of the drop off zone in the morning before you stop and drop your children off so that other cars can park behind you and do the same. We ask that all children enter and exit their car on the side closest to the path, not on the road side.
Thank you for all of your cooperation in these matters. Have a lovely rest of the week and a relaxing weekend
Take care.
Alison Fazio
Assistant Principal
Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day
This week we have celebrated the feast of our patron and the patron of Australia, Our Lady Help of Christians. We started the week with classes praying the Rosary. Each child was then gifted with a set of rosary beads for their own prayer at home.
Our week has continued with Marion art and the sharing of a video composed by Andrew Chinn, that features the artwork of our children.
You can access the video via this link :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Our feast week celebrations will conclude tomorrow with each class having a liturgy at our statue of Mary or our beautiful mosaic.
OLHC FD
We feel very privileged to have Mary, Help of Christians as our patron. In this time of great change we offer our prayers to Mary to intercede for us.
O Immaculate Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of heaven and
earth, and tender Mother of humanity, at this time when a
pandemic threatens all your children, we entrust to you our
nation, Australia, and all who live in this country.
We commit to your intercession all the members of our
community, beginning with the weakest ones, from the unborn
to the sick, the disabled and the elderly.
We commit to you our families, our young and old, and all who
are vulnerable, those who are quarantined or anxious.
We entrust to your Immaculate Heart those who have lost their
livelihood or employment, our pastors and other essential
service workers, and our leaders at this time.
We implore your intercession especially for the protection of
doctors and nurses and those who minister to the contagious
sick in this crisis.
Reign over us, Mother of God, and teach us how to make the
Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as it has
reigned and triumphed in you!
Natasha Ferderer
Religious Education Co-ordinator
| Isabella Hili (2M) | Orianne Lennon (3W) | Ruby Clark (4M) |
| Mathew Sojan (4M) | Katrin Camilleri (5M) | Samantha Burnett (6M) |
| Abigail Turner (6W) | Lucas Failla (4W) | Isabella Fazio (4W) |
| Lea Camoin (2W) | Enrique Venegas (2M) |
Kindergarten applications are still open. New applications will have a telephone interview on Tuesday 16th June. Please collect an application from the office or it can be downloaded from the website. Please remember to include a family photograph and let your family and friends know about this new date. Thank you.
Lost Property
A treasured necklace has been lost on the school grounds. It is a donut shape, that glows yellow, on a black string. If you find this necklace, please hand it in to the school office.
Compass App
This app should be downloaded so you can be kept up to date with the latest events and information from the school. This app is also used for distribution of the Newsletter. Please download the app from your relevant store. For more information please see the attached flyer "Accessing the Compass App".
eSafety Website
Welcome Back Students
It was a real joy to welcome back our students on Monday:
Survey
In light of all the recent changes that have occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have created a survey to get your feedback about things that we are currently doing well and areas for improvement. The purpose of this survey is to review processes at Our Lady Help of Christians to ensure we are contributing to the overall vision of the school.
We value your participation in your child's education. Our school is working to strengthen and continue the partnership between families and teachers and would like to have your input regarding your experience during the current school year, especially during COVID-19. It has been designed to give parents the opportunity to provide feedback into how we can make improvements. Once we have your feedback we will consider it with the feedback from staff and identify a focus to inform future planning for 2020 and beyond.
Your responses could reflect the learning that your child participated in during COVID-19 and some of our other school procedures. Please do not feel compelled to respond to every question.
Please allow 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. The survey can be completed using a mobile device or computer. Parents will only be required to complete the survey once.
If you would like a printed copy of this survey please contact Miss Stroligo on StroligoA01@dow.catholic.edu.au
The survey responses are confidential, however we will collect your email addresses. These email addresses will be used to award house points to families who complete the survey.
We value your feedback and would appreciate it if you could please complete the survey before the end of Tuesday 9th June 2020.
Please select the image below to complete your survey response.
Please give our school Facebook page a like. We regularly upload photos of students through this platform and would love to keep our school community updated. Select the image below for our OLHC Facebook page.
Alana Stroligo.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia's major faith communities. In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Austral's first NRW. In 2000, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership of reconciliation. In the same year, approximately 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of NRW to show their support for reconciliation.
Today, NRW is celebrated by businesses, schools, early learning services, organisations and individuals Australia-wide. Hundreds of NRW events are held each year. At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of of Australians.
Reconciliation Prayer
Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled with you and reconciled with each other.
You made us in your likeness,
you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ.
He has given us forgiveness from sin.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
different in culture, but given new life in Jesus Christ,
together as your body, your Church, your people.
Lord God, bring us together as one,
reconciled, healed, forgiven,
sharing you with others as you have called us to do.
In Jesus Christ, let us be together as one.
Amen.
P&F Meeting
The P&F Meeting set down for Monday 1st June has been cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday 3rd August.
School Banking
School banking is still on pause. We will advise you via an alert when it recommences.
Mass Timetable:
Tuesday: 6.30pm, Wednesday: 9.00am, Thursday: 9.00am, Friday: 9.00am (note change from 8.20am), Saturday: 6.00pm, Sunday: 10.00am (NO Mass at 8.30am).
While participating spiritually in Mass from home, Father has invited to you pray the following with him:
Prayer of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
And unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Michael, Protector of the Church.
St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
A Walk through Rosemeadow
A beautiful hard cover book on the theology and spirituality underpinning the design of the church, written by Father Sarkis, it contains full colour pictures of all the windows, art works and photographs from the Mass of Dedication. This book captures and explains the design and art of the church and gives simple spiritual synthesis of what we believe as Catholic Christians. Available to purchase from the Pious Goods Store - parish price $59.95 with cash or credit card only - for EFPTOS facilities, please visit the parish office during business hours. All proceeds from the book go to the church.