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St Paul reminds the Romans - and us - that all things come from God: "For from Him and through Him and for Him all things exist." Good stewards understand that "all" is gifts and share generously the gifts of time, talent and treasure with which they have been blessed.
The Gospel ....
Last weekend we heard from the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel continues the story that began in last week’s Gospel. Simon Peter was called the “rock” upon which Jesus would build his Church, and yet Peter continues to show the limitations of his understanding of Jesus’ identity. Now that the disciples have acknowledged that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus confides in them the outcome of his ministry: he must suffer and die in Jerusalem to be raised on the third day. Peter rejects this prediction, and Jesus rebukes him severely, calling him “Satan.” In opposing this aspect of Jesus’ mission, Peter shows that he is no longer speaking based on the revelation from God but as a human being. Jesus then teaches all of the disciples about the difficult path of discipleship: to be Christ’s disciple is to follow in his way of the cross.
Jesus would be more like the suffering servant described by the prophet Isaiah than a political liberator. Those who would be Jesus' disciples would be called to a similar life of service. Perhaps this is what Peter feared most in Jesus’ prediction of his Passion. He whom Jesus had called “rock” would also be called upon to offer himself in sacrifice and service to others. Christian leaders today are still called to sacrifice and serve others as Jesus did.
Dear Parents and Carers,
This coming Sunday, 6th September, we pause to give thanks for the presence of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and significant male role models in the lives of our students.
Father’s Day can be a useful time for all men to reflect on what it means to be a father or to have a fatherly influence on children. Social commentators often remark that the art of fatherhood has been lost in the modern era. The media continues to present fathers as the less capable and less responsible half of the parenting team. Childcare often becomes the domain of mothers, and fathers have often been reduced to ‘income-providers.’
Christian fathers can never accept any reduction in the importance of their role. Guided by their faith, they should take their vocation as a father seriously. Fatherhood is a gift from God, and with this great gift comes great responsibility. Yet, although being a responsible father requires hard work, there are great rewards to be gained.
The following reflection, captures the many and varied men who may carry the title of father, all of whom we celebrate and give thanks for this coming Sunday.
Let us use Father's Day to let the special men in our lives know the unique place they have in our lives and the valuable influence they have on us.
Enjoy the week ahead, and most especially to all those in our community who hold the title ‘Father’ - Happy Father’s Day!
Jane Webb
Principal
It has been a pleasure to welcome Spring this week and hopefully some warmer weather. It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of Week 7 with only three weeks of Term 3 left. I know MacKillop House were in front in house points at the end of Week 5 but it has been a very close race this term and the students have many opportunities to collect house points in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing which House team wins the points this term. This will be announced at the beginning of Week 10 with a mufti day reward at the end of the term for the winning house.
In the last newsletter I put in a reminder from our Uniform Policy about which earrings girls are allowed to wear to school. Girls are only allowed to wear plain gold or silver sleepers (these must be able to be turned through the ear without a clasp on the back) and studs. Thank you to the students who are following this expectation. I have also had to speak to a few boys recently about choice of hair cut. We ask for your support in ensuring that boys haircuts align with the school’s uniform policy which states that boys hair is to be no longer than eyebrow or collar lengths and extremes of hair cuts are not permitted - hair must be evenly cut - no rat's tails or shaved sections/lines.
I thank Miss Stroligo for all of her support with Seesaw and getting teachers and students ready to share some of their English work with you this week. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see some of the work your child has been engaging in at school and that it offers you the chance to discuss something positive that they have achieved and something they could work on over the coming weeks.
Alison Fazio
Assistant Principal
Vinnies Sleepout
Thank you for your support of our Vinnies sleepout. We raised over $6,000!!! A number of staff members took part in the sleepout at their homes. It was an incredible experience that made us all acutely aware of how lucky and privileged we are to have a safe place to sleep at night and have food on the table. If you would like to see our journey please click on the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Year 6 Retreat
In Week 5 our Year 6 students took part in a retreat day. Students explored the values of Mary and how we can apply these values when striving to be the best people we can be.
The day began with Father Sarkis speaking about the way that Mary always listed to and followed the will of God. Students then took part in various rotations where they reflected on the people that God wants them to be.
World Day of Prayer for Creation
1st September marked the beginning of the Season of Creation. The Season of Creation is an ecumenical season dedicated to prayer for the protection of creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. In grade groups students celebrated a liturgy giving thanks to God for Creation.
Children attending Mass
In line with the Parish’s COVID safe plan, students will sit away from other parishioners and staff will sanitise pews students have used before leaving. All students attending will have their name and family contact number recorded by the Parish Office.
We ask that you please contact the school office if you have any concerns about your child attending Mass or if you would prefer they did not attend.
Ripples
The Catholic Education Office has developed a podcast to support the spiritual formation of staff and parents.
Ripples seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation. On Tuesday of each week a new Episode and Meditation are released. Practices like these create a ripple effect. They have the potential to impact the way we respond to family, friends, colleagues, to others in our world, to creation and to our loving God.
The Ripples Podcast is available on the Continuity of Faith and Learning website, on Podbean. and Apple Podcast.
Natasha Ferderer
Religious Education Co-ordinator
Seesaw - Reading
Attached is the latest from Miss Stroligo regarding Seesaw and making connections when Reading. We hope you are finding the information useful and interesting.
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 link below for our OLHC Facebook page.
Transition to Summer Uniform
From Monday 14th September, students may begin to wear summer uniform, depending upon the weather and parental discretion. Full summer uniform is to be worn by all students from the commencement of Term 4.
Pupil Free Days
Parents are requested to make alternate arrangements for their child on FRIDAY 25th SEPTEMBER as this will be a pupil free day for all students.
All staff will participate in their annual spirituality day.
Also, next term the final Pupil Free Day for the year will be held on MONDAY 19th OCTOBER.
On this day staff will engage with professional learning in ways we can assess student’s ability to develop in their reading and comprehension of texts.
Thank you for making alternate arrangements for your chid/ren on these days.
Swimming Lessons and Surf Day Update
After much deliberation and reviewing of the current health and safety directives from the CEO in relation to COVID-19, we have, unfortunately, decided to cancel:
- Swimming Lessons for Kinder to Year 4 students (Term 4 2020)
- Surf Days for Years 5 to 6.
This cancellation is due to the current and ever changing climate of COVID-19. This decision has been made with the safety of all students and staff involved in mind.
We are currently arranging for parents to be reimbursed for the cancellation of these events. Currently, we are restricted to travelling within our Local Government Area (LGA) and both these activities fall outside of this directive.
With thanks for your continued support and understanding.
Student Representative Council (SRC) - Semester 2
Congratulations to the following students who are our SRC members for Semester 2:
Year 3: Isaac Soriano, Jessica Chanhdarah
4M: Dominic Hachem, Sophie Nunes,
4W: Skye Bishop, Jye Dickens
5M: Ayrton da Silva, Olivia Ditotto
5W: Tom Abbott, Paulina Miziniak
K, 1M, Year 2, Year 6:
Atong Chol, Harry Morell, Elizabeth Lisita Cocheci, Benjamin Robin
Zero Touch Sign In for Staff, Parents/Carers and Visitors
The attached flyer explains to parents and care-givers how to download the CEDoW app to your phone that will assist you in registering your presence if you need to come onto the school grounds.
BYOD - Year 2 Parents
This meeting will be held, via Zoom, on Monday 7th September at 6.30pm. Details regarding sign-in will be sent to Year 2 parents in separate correspondence.
Annual School Report - 2019
The Annual School Report for OLHC for 2019 has been published and is available for reading via the school web site.
Brother Clarence Foundation for Education
This Foundation assists families in our local community who are in need. Since November 1991 the Foundation has distributed $114,220 to 289 families. If anyone is interested in donating to the Foundation, please contact Gary Charlton on 4625 6375.
Directives - Term Three
Directives include –
Following sickness with flu-like symptoms, students and staff are required to be free of symptoms AND present a negative COVID-19 test, which must be sighted by the school, before they can return to school.
- Students will now stay within their relevant cohort (i.e. class, year group or stage) for all learning activities.
- Schools cannot travel outside of their geographic region, including for all inter-school activities.
- Student activities at offsite locations are no longer allowed, except in very limited circumstances (i.e. inter-school activities within our region and day field trips to outdoor locations within walking distance of the school).
- Participants in attendance at inter-school sport and physical activities must be limited to 100 people per venue, including staff.
- Singing, chanting and use of wind instruments in group settings is not permitted.
- Assemblies are limited to stage groups (primary) and cannot run for longer than 15 minutes.
- Only incursions/external providers essential to curriculum delivery are permitted.
- Community groups using school facilities must now have a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
- Playgroups – including Transition to School Through Play – are not permitted.
- P&F meetings must be held online and P&F social events are not permitted.
- Parent/teacher meetings must be held online or via telephone, except in very limited circumstances.
Student Absence
Letters to request reasons for a child's absence will be sent home on a weekly basis. Please provide an explanation for the absence and sign off the letter and return it to the office as soon as possible. If you think the absence is incorrect please note this on the letter.
Parents may also open the Compass app and provide an explanation through there.
Just after 10.00am on a school day, an alert will automatically be sent to you to advise your child has been marked absent. You can provide an absence reason via this alert as well. Thank you.
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 to pre-order treats or put towards a lunch order. Congratulations to these winners:
Kobie Fenton (4W - Red House), Asher Khanarbkaew (KM - Green),
Ignatius Przybylo (4W - Green), Mathew Sojan (4M - Rose House).
Assembly
Congratulations to the following students who will be receiving a Principal's Award at our next Assembly on Friday 11th September. Merit Awards will be presented by their teacher on this day:
Olivia Anderson (2W), Ava Callaghan (2W), Georgia D'Emanuele (4W),
Jackson Marten (3W), Paulina Miziniak (5W), Sue Nguyen (4W),
Jessica Tran (1M).
Child Protection Week - 6th to 12th September
Child Protection Week celebrates its 30th year with the theme: "Putting children first ...". The Catholic Education Office have produced the attached flyer for your information.
Book Week 2020
During the last week of this term, our students will be engaged in a variety of activities around the book week books. The week will end with a dress up day on Thursday 24th September. If students would like to, they can dress up as their favourite book character for the day. We look forward to a wonderful week focused on sharing our love of reading.
School Banking
School Banking has been suspended for the remainder of the term.
Celebrations and Sharing of Food
In light of the current environment that we are living in, we ask that you please do not send in birthday cakes or food to share with the class. I understand that this is something that the children enjoy, however, we need to maintain controlled safety and hygiene procedures in the school. If you would like to send in something to acknowledge and celebrate your child’s birthday, you are able to send in packaged goods only (eg, packets of Maltesers, small wrapped chocolate bars etc such as a Freddo Frogs). We will notify you when these restrictions are lifted.
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
| DATE | EVENT | EVENT |
| Thursday 17th September | 2W to Mass, 9.00am | |
| Friday 18th September | 4W Reconciliation, 9.00am | Y3 grade visit by Father, 10.00am |
| Wednesday 23rd September | Year 3 to Mass, 9.00am | |
| Thursday 24th September | 4W to Mass, 9.00am | Book Week dress up |
| Last day of term for students | ||
| Friday 25th September | PUPIL FREE DAY | End of Term 3 |
| Monday 12th October | First day of Term 4 | Summer uniform compulsory |
| Monday 19th October | PUPIL FREE DAY | |
| Friday 23rd October | Assembly, 1.50pm | |
| Saturday 24th October | Holy Communion lessons begin, 4.15pm | |
| Friday 30th October | Confirmation practice, 4.15pm | |
| Sunday 1st November | Confirmation, 10.00am |
Congratulations to to the following students who celebrate a September birthday:-
Oscar Anderson, Ezekiel Asuncion, Rhys Barrington, York Brien,
Toby David, Alexis Dellis, Addison Erjavac-Macarthy,
Cody Faber, Lucas Faillia, Amelia Fayka,
Callum Field, Sienna Larner, Nelson Martinez-Ramirez,
Isobel Martin, Celeste Moloney, Zachary Potts,
Ivan Shenoda, Gervayse Smith, Mathew Sojan,
Queeny Tran, Makayla Williams, Jack Woodford.
P&F Meetings
The September P&F Meeting has been cancelled as there are currently no plans for fund-raising. A meeting is still diaried for Term 4 - Monday 2nd November.
The Canteen is currently only open to provide Break 1 lunches - orders need to be at the Canteen by 9.00am. Please write your child's name, class and what they wish to order on a paper bag and enclose the correct money, if possible. We will advise you when this situation changes.
Please note: Banana Milk is no longer available for purchase.
The Canteen is run by Made Fresh. Should you have a need to contact the Canteen, please email Maria at "made.fresh@yahoo.com" or telephone 0410 481 150.
Please find attached a letter from CatholicCare regarding Kindness.
- Monitors will be present to assist and ensure required protocols and health requirements are fulfilled. Once Mass starts, the doors will be closed.
- After Mass you will be provided with a disinfectant wipe to rub over surfaces where you have been sitting or come in contact with.
- Toilets will not be open
Macarthur Disability Services (MDS) Training
MDS is offering the opportunity of a scholarship for the Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.
To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates need to meet the below criteria:
Currently working or volunteering in an environment related to this qualification,
The ability to access workplace information whilst studying,
Recommended that candidates will have achieved Year 12 or equivalent in English Language, Literacy and Number skills.
To apply for this scholarship go to "www.mdservices.com.au/careers". Applications close 5.00pm on Friday 10th September.
Bradbury Cricket Club
School Crossing Supervisors