OUR CATHOLIC FAITH - ALL SAINTS DAY

Next week, on Wednesday 1st November, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, a solemnity in the life of the Church and a special day for all of us in the Church. This feast day is also linked tightly with the commemoration of All Souls' Day, and both days point clearly to our belief in the "Communion of Saints."

The most extraordinary thing about the saints is that they were ordinary people. While they were filled with passion and the Spirit inspiring them to work for the good of all, and a remarkable faith, they generally struggled with the same doubts, fears, inadequacies, and distractions that we all face. A visit to Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney, is extraordinary in its exhibition on the life of Saint Mary MacKillop, and demonstrates the reality that Mary herself was often in conflict with Church authorities and was a ‘normal person’. Her obedience and sobriety were questioned; many upstanding people had serious doubts about her cause and actively worked to undermine her schools and the sisters working in them. Mary's faith in God, herself and her personal relationship with Christ gave her the strength and tenacity to do the work she did.

As Catholics, we believe strongly that those who are in heaven, those canonised and those remaining unrecognised, intercede for us. The saints we celebrate, those who we have known and those we have read about, listen to our needs and prayers and take them on our behalf to God.

During the month of November, we also especially pray for those who have died, to remember them, to celebrate their love, and to do all we can through our prayers to ensure that they have reached the fulfilment of heaven. We particularly remember those loved ones who have gone before us and pray for their eternal peace.

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in eternal peace.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we have now commenced the final term of the school year, I thought it would be timely to also provide the following information about arriving late to school. This would be a worthwhile conversation with your children, even if they have very strong attendance at school. 

Every late day can affect your child’s learning and wellbeing. Every minute counts.

Lateness = Lost learning and impacts on wellbeing

Further information in relation to supporting regular school attendance -

WHY MUST I SEND MY CHILD TO SCHOOL?

Education in NSW is compulsory. This means all children from six years of age and under the minimum school leaving age are legally required to attend school.

WHY IS REGULAR ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL IMPORTANT?

Regular school attendance will help your child to succeed in life. Attending school every day makes learning easier for your child to build and maintain friendships with other children. If your child doesn’t learn the basic skills in the early years of school,  they may develop learning problems in later years.

MUST I SEND MY CHILD EVERY DAY? YES.

It is a condition of enrolment that you send your child to school every day. A small number of absences may be justified if your child has to:

• go to a special religious ceremony
• is required to attend a serious and/or urgent family situation (eg funeral);and
• is too sick to go to school or has an infectious illness.

MUST MY CHILD ATTEND ALL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SPORT? YES.

Children are expected to attend all regular school activities. Do not keep your child at home for the following:

• birthdays;
• minding other children;
• routine check-ups or care such as hair cuts;
• minor family events;
• sleeping in.

Medical and other health appointments for your child should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

WHY IS ARRIVING AT SCHOOL ON TIME IMPORTANT?

Arriving at school and class on time:

• ensures that your child doesn’t miss out on the important learning activities scheduled early in the day when they are most alert;
• helps your child learn the importance of punctuality and routine; and
• gives your child time to greet their friends before class and therefore reduces the opportunity for classroom disruption.

At OLHC, we are continuing to refine our processes in relation to the regular monitoring of school attendance. This monitoring includes -

• Stage One - Each Friday, notifications will be sent out to families whose child/ren have been absent from school but an explanation for the absence has not been recorded and/or received by the school. Please note that Compass automatically adjusts these absences to Unjustified after 7 days.
• It is a legal obligation for schools to record absences and be provided with a reason for the absence. Thank you for your support in ensuring that these records are kept up to date.
• Stage Two - Contact will be made with students who have ongoing attendance concerns via a COMPASS letter - Emerging Attendance Concerns. Attendance data will continue to be monitored to ensure a regular pattern of attendance is maintained.
• Stage Three - If attendance concerns continue, a meeting with the parents will be requested to develop a school attendance plan.

Thank you for your ongoing support in managing positive school attendance for students.

Enjoy the week ahead.