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- Advent
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- Student Leadership
- School Reports
- End of Year Celebrations
- ICT Agreement and Student Image/Work Consent
- Lunch Wallets
- Sacraments 2022
- P&F Meeting - December & Positions Vacant
Stewardship Thought ....
Last Sunday saw the Liturgical season of Advent commence, the “Sunday of Hope” in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom God has promised to save and redeem His people. Advent signals for all of us, that Christmas is just around the corner.
Each year, we begin the new liturgical year with a four-week celebration of Advent. Advent is our season of beginning which focuses on waiting. The scripture reminds us to actively wait for the coming of the Lord as king at the end-time.
Henri Nouwen once said, “In our personal lives, waiting is not a very popular pastime. Waiting is not something we anticipate or experience with great joy and gladness! Most of us consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is saying, "Get going! Do something! Show you can make a difference! Don't just sit there and wait!"
For many people, waiting is that place between where we are and where we want to be. We do not enjoy such a place. We want to move out of it and do something worthwhile. Advent reminds us to be patient as we wait on the Lord. In the meantime, we are encouraged to look back over our life to see how we have prepared a place for Christ to be born again in our lives and in the lives of those whom we love. We are watchful and alert! While we are waiting, come Lord Jesus!
As we embark upon our 2021 Advent journey, may we all be open to the opportunity for a fresh start and to allowing God’s grace to guide us and work within our lives.
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we approach the end of the school year, I wanted to advise of the following staffing changes that will be taking place. We wish the following staff many blessings as they prepare to leave the OLHC school community and embrace the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally, as they commence at their new schools in 2022.
Mr Peter Vincent - who will be joining the staff at Good Shepherd, Hoxton Park as a Middle Leader One.
Miss Alicia Zoccoli - who will be joining the staff at St Anthony of Padua Catholic College, Austral.
Miss Miriam Reid - who will be joining the staff at Holy Family, Ingleburn.
Miss Emma Cavallaro - who will be joining the staff of St Gertrude’s, Smithfield.
Miss Natasha Ferderer - who will be joining the staff of Holy Family, Ingleburn as a Middle Leader 2.
We thank Peter, Alicia, Miriam, Natasha and Emma for their commitment and care for the students at OLHC. Each of them leaves OLHC with our prayers and best wishes for the future.
All 2022 staffing positions will be communicated with you in Week 11, after the children are introduced to their 2022 classroom teacher, next Thursday 9th December.
It is almost unbelievable that we are approaching our final full week for the year. 2021 has been a tumultuous year for many, with the impact of COVID-19 being far reaching around the globe. We have never been lacking in community spirit, energy and the motivation to be ‘church in action’.
As we make preparations to begin a new school year by finalising the staff and students for 2021, we do this with the knowledge that we will be farewelling some of the existing members of our community.
We remember the students in Year Six, many of whom have been at OLHC since Kindergarten - seven years ago. As these students leave us to begin the next phase of their journey, I thank them for sharing their special gifts with all of us here at OLHC and for enriching our school environment. Year 6, please be assured that each of you takes with you our love and prayers and you leave with us the memory of the special, unique person that each of you are.
For many of our families their association with the OLHC community will be coming to an end. I take this opportunity to thank these families for living out their commitment to the school and for contributing to the building of this wonderful community in a multitude of ways.
We farewell to the following families at the end of 2021:
Abbott, Asuncion, Athanassiou, Barrington,
Camilleri, Gilbert, Glover,
Henry, Malek, Sculli,
Shearer, Siroki, Smith (Gervayse),
Trinh, Van Kints,
Bou Merhi, da Silva, Denniss,
Field, Foweraker, Good,
Gorrie, Martinez-Ramirez, McIntyre,
Panikian, Ayres, Fonseca.
We thank you for your contribution to your child’s learning and your support of the school.
Student Leaders 2022
Congratulations to the following students who have been elected by their peers and teachers as Year 6 Student Leaders for 2022
School Captains - Jye Dickens and Georgia D’Emanuele
Vice-Captains - Lucas Failla and Skye Bishop
House Captains - Isabella Fazio (Sarkis), Steven Brticevich (Mackillop),
Peyton Venters (Ingham) and Euphemia (Miya) Chew (Rose).
Students will receive their badges at the Opening School Mass in 2022.
Writing Competition
Congratulations to Bao (Sue) Nguyen and Anabelle Federico who recently entered the Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize 2021.
Both students received Highly Commended for their entries.
As this is the final newsletter for 2021 it is timely to say “thank you” to many members of the Our Lady Help of Christians school community:
- To the parents and carers for all your support of the school in many ways. We have had a very challenging and unprecedented year, however, your constant support of all that we did was very much appreciated. Thank you for supporting us, helping us and working with us in all areas, particularly the areas focussed on learning, wellbeing and safety. We consistently worked hard in partnership with all of our families for the benefit of all students in our school. All parents, carers, relatives and friends who became teachers at home during remote learning, we say thank you for all that you have done.
- To our Parish Priest, Fr Sarkis, who has guided us and supported us through 2021. We say thank you for his spiritual guidance, support and assistance in many ways.
- To the students for their hard work and resilience. Throughout 2021, the students have constantly amazed us all with their willingness to learn and ability to adapt, particularly to events and situations out of their control. Our school community is fortunate to work with children who love to learn and who continued to engage with their learning at home. Thank you
- To the wonderful staff of Our Lady Help of Christians. Their professionalism and dedication to the community is inspirational. Their commitment to monitoring and regular check-ins with students and families greatly assisted all to continue to engage in their work. It has been a highly unusual time for all of the staff, juggling remote learning and face to face learning as well as supporting their own families at this time. All of our staff have ensured that the children in our care were safe and equipped to cope with all that was being asked of them. Thank you OLHC staff.
- Thank you to the parishioners of Our Lady Help of Christians for their prayers and support, particularly with the sacramental programs for 2021. To everyone who did anything to assist and support our great school community in 2021, we say thank you.
Jane Webb
Principal
We are quickly moving towards the end of the year, with many end of year events occurring over the coming days. Whilst they will look a little different this year, we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate together the end of a very tough year that has brought with it many challenges. Next Thursday, 9th December, the students will move into their classroom for next year, finding out their class and their teacher for 2022. We hope they are filled with eagerness for everything the new school year will offer them.
Semester Two reports will be released next Wednesday, 8th December, via Compass and will be a reflection of your child’s participation in Religion, English and Maths this semester. Please remember that due to the amount of time in remote learning this semester, these reports are not graded A-E but are observations of some of the work your child has engaged in.
Last Monday we welcomed our Kindergarten 2022 students to their orientation session. We meet them again on Tuesday 7th December. It is wonderful that this opportunity has been able to occur and we are looking forward to these students and families joining our OLHC family next year.
It will be lovely to be able to celebrate as a school community next Friday with our End of Year Mass (Stage 3) and Liturgy (K-2 and 3-4). We will also have a leaving assembly in the afternoon to acknowledge the staff and students who are leaving OLHC. We thank them for everything they have brought to our school community and wish them many blessings as they move to their new schools for 2022.
Congratulations to our Year 6 students who will be graduating next week. I wish them all the best as they move ahead into high school. I hope they enjoy all the experiences they will have and may they continue to grow in their faith. I also take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the wonderful staff here at OLHC. They work tirelessly for the good of the students in their class, constantly implementing strategies to improve their learning. Especially this year for all of their professionalism and hard work during remote learning, I’m sure you will agree that they continued to engage the students in their learning during this time and checked in regularly with the students to see how they were coping and constantly offered support to them.
A special thank you to Mrs Webb for her continual guidance and leadership this year, it has been a year like never before and we have been so lucky to have had all of her support. I also take this opportunity to say thank you to Father Sarkis whose support and guidance is invaluable and never ending.
I wish all of our community a blessed Christmas and a very relaxing holiday. May we all be given the opportunity to be refreshed and ready for 2022.
Take care.
End of Year Celebrations
Our End of Year Mass will be celebrated on Friday 10th December with students attending either a Liturgy or Mass and our final assembly for the year will also be held on this day. A Guard of Honour for Year 6, with social and cohort distancing, will also take place. Unfortunately, due to current COVID restrictions, parents and care-givers will not be able to attend any of these events.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Thank you for your generosity in supporting this appeal. Hampers were picked up by the Vinnie's team today - they were so grateful.
Sacraments 2022
There will be no enrolment evening for 2022. Enrolments dates for all Sacraments were sent home on Monday and a copy is attached. They are also available for viewing via the Parish website. Parents and carers will be able to enrol their child at the first lesson of each Sacrament. Further information will be provided next year.
Miss Ferderer
Religious Education Co-ordinator.
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 the following students:
Isabella Fazio (5M - Rose), Kobie Fenton (5M - Ingham).
Our next and last Assembly for the year will be held on Friday 10th December. Merit and Principal's Awards will be presented. Congratulations to the following students who will be receiving a Principal's Award:
Olivia Anderson (3W), Isaac Athanassiou (6M),
Robbie Barrett-Vizcaino (6W), George Botrous (1M),
Mason Burke (5W), Ava Callaghan (3M),
Liam Crawford (5M), Daniel David (4M),
Georgia D'Emanuele (5M), Addison Erjavac McCarthy (4M),
Josh Fonseca (1M), Alexis Jahshan (3M),
Sancia Soares (3M), Enzo Venegas (1M).
Lunch Wallets - Payment due by Friday 3rd December
As our school continues to refine some of our practices with a more sustainable approach, we would like to thank those parents who purchased a lunch wallet for their child earlier this year. The wallets are a great way to help decrease the amount of rubbish we produce as a school; replacing the use of ziplock bags, paper bags and envelopes that are commonly used for lunch orders.
Students will receive the wallets in the new year, Term 1, 2022.
ICT Agreement and Consent Form for Student Image/Work
Paper copies of the agreement and consent form for 2022 have been sent home with your child today. Please check their bag. We would like these forms signed and returned as soon as possible so that we can commence 2022 with these in place. Thank you for your co-operation.
Vacuum Cleaner Donation
A barrel vacuum cleaner, in very good condition, has been donated to the school. If there is a family in our community who could use the cleaner, please contact the school office. Thank you.
Celebrating Birthdays at School
Birthdays are an important part of a child’s life and having an opportunity to recognise their birthday with their school friends is exciting. Special treats to share are allowed, however, they must be wrapped, such as a ‘Freddo’ frog, or similar is encouraged. The sharing of food such as cupcakes and lolly bags is not allowed, particularly in this period of COVID-19.
2022 School Travel Applications
Students who require a school Opal Card for 2022 can apply now. A new application will need to be submitted if you are applying for a travel pass for the first time or if there are changes to residential addresses or schools. This will need to be done by the end of this term. To apply, please go to "http://transportnsw.info"
Newsletter Translation
Did you realise that the Schoolzine Newsletter platform allows for the Newsletter to be translated into any language? Please follow the prompts from the attached flyer for further information.
Use of School Bubblers
School bubblers are no longer accessible to students. Students who are on-site will need to bring sufficient water for their needs each day.
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
Congratulations to the following students who celebrate a December birthday:
The following dates are published, but subject to NSW Health Public Health Orders.
| Date | ActivityEvent |
| Friday 3rd December | Year 6 visit by Father Sarkis, 10.00am |
| Monday 6th December | P&F Meeting, 7.30pm |
| Tuesday 7th December | Kinder 2022 Orientation |
| Wednesday 8th December | Reports go home |
| Thursday 9th December | Promotions Day |
| Thursday 9th December | Year 6 Graduation Mass, 9.00am |
| Friday 10th December | End of Year Mass - Students only |
| Friday 10th December | Assembly and Year 6 Guard of Honour - Students only |
| Wednesday 15th December | Last day of school for students |
| Tuesday 1st February 2022 | Students in Years 1 - 6 return |
| Friday 4th February | Swimming Carnival for students in Years 3 - 6 |
P&F Meeting
The next scheduled meeting is Monday 6th December 2021 at 7.30pm. Please note that under the current health advice regarding Covid-19 regulations, everyone wishing to attend the P&F meeting must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask.
March 2022 Annual General Meeting
At the AGM next year, two parents will be stepping down from their roles following several years of service. This creates opportunities for parents/carers to take up a role and make a contribution to the P&F's important work supporting the school.
The opportunities are:
- Fund Raising Coordinators - raising funds to provide the school with important items such as library books, sports equipment, etc., is a key role of the P&F. The P&F runs a number of events such as the Mothers Day Stall throughout the school year. This role would suit two or more parents/carers so the workload can be shared.
- Secretary - preparing meeting agendas and minutes, writing messages for the school newsletter, dealing with correspondence, etc.
- Vice President - supports the general running of the P&F Executive. This is an ideal role for someone new to the Executive to learn how the P&F functions.
The current holders of the positions will provide full handovers to the incoming volunteers. They will also be available throughout 2022 to provide support and advice.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about what a role involves, please get in touch with the current holders or join us at the next meeting on Monday 6th December.
Clothing Pool
As parents can no longer enter our site, if any item of uniform is required, please contact the office and we will arrange for items to be sent home.
School Banking
School banking has now ceased. Schools can no longer offer this service.
Prizes/rewards will be allocated next week and sent home.
The Canteen is open for lunch orders and over-the-counter sales of snacks and treats at Break 1 (11.00am - 11.30am). A price list is attached. Please support the Canteen in their endeavours to support our school community.
Lunch orders are required 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.
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 0422 469 489.
- Attendees will be limited to 1 person per 2 square metres (400 people at Rosemeadow)
- 1.5 metre social distancing, wherever possible
- Face masks must be worn and hand sanitiser used
- No congregational singing
- After Mass, please use a disinfectant wipe to rub over surfaces you have come in contact with and place them in the bins provided as you leave
- The 6.00pm Saturday Vigil and Tuesday 6.30pm Mass will continue to be live-streamed
- It is recommended that you register via Eventbrite
