OLOG eNewsletter Term 1 Week 6
Dear Parents and Caregivers
We have now reached the middle of Term 1 and with four weeks until we celebrate Easter. Our Year 4 children safely returned from their rich and full experience at ZooSnooze. Sport games and trials have commenced with many of our students participating. Learning in classes is in full swing where students are continuously being challenged and engaged in so many varied learning activities.
Learning requires thinking, focus and attention and these qualities and dispositions are constantly being enhanced by teachers.
In today's world of constant distractions and instant gratification, it can be challenging for children to focus for extended periods. There are several reasons why attention spans are shortening, including; technology, fast paced media- TV, video games are designed to capture and hold children’s attention, making it difficult to concentrate on other tasks and lack of sleep.
Despite these challenges, developing strong attention skills is crucial for success in school and life. Here are three things that parents can do to help children improve their attention spans:
- Limit screen time: Too much screen time can have a negative impact on children's attention spans. Set limits on the amount of time your child spends on electronic devices and encourage them to engage in other activities such as reading, drawing, or playing outside, click here:
- Encourage mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness exercises can help children develop their attention skills. Encourage your child to take deep breaths and focus on the present moment. You can also try guided meditations together. For further information about Christian meditation, click here:
- Create a structured routine: Children thrive on routine and predictability. Establish a daily routine that includes set times for meals, homework, and play. This structure can help children feel more focused and in control.
By implementing these strategies, you can help your child develop stronger attention skills, which will benefit them in school and beyond. At school, we will continue to support students in developing these skills through engaging, hands-on activities and strategies to help them stay focused during lessons.
Congratulations to our Senior Student Voice Leaders - Ashley, April, Charlie, Grace, Lucas and Liana.
Cheese and Wine Evening for all Parents
Our annual Cheese and Wine Evening for parents has returned and we look forward to seeing parents on Saturday 18 March, 7:00pm in the Community Space. I encourage you to come along, meet parents and welcome new families to OLOG.
School Board Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Our Lady of Grace School Board will be held on Monday 20 March at 7:00pm in the community space.
The AGM is an opportunity to hear about the work of the Board and also a time to elect parent representatives. There are two vacancies for the School Board and we encourage you to consider nominating for the positions.
Please fill in the eform on the Skoolbag app. You may also use this form to nominate for the School Board. A friendly reminder that eforms are to be completed by Monday 13 March.
NAPLAN CHANGES FOR 2023
Since 2019 Education Ministers have been considering a range of changes to NAPLAN. These changes include bringing forward the testing.
From this year, tests will be undertaken from 15 March-27 March: instead of May. Now that the tests are undertaken fully online, reporting can be done earlier in the year with parents and schools scheduled to receive individualised reports in July 2023.
Benchmarks will be more meaningful and clearer to reflect the personalised online tests that students undertake. They will be set against a challenging but reasonable standard of literacy and numeracy expected for the child at the time of testing. Education ministers agreed in 2019 to set proficiency standards for numeracy and literacy assessed by NAPLAN.
These new standards will give teachers and parents better information about what a student can do. The names of the new standards are based on advice from ACARA’s First Nations Australians Advisory Group and parent bodies. They are Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. These will be accompanied by detailed descriptions that are useful for teachers and families.
The descriptions will be developed by a panel of teachers. They will simplify reporting, replacing the current 10 NAPLAN bands and national minimum standard, allowing parents and carers to know at-a-glance whether their child is where they need to be in literacy and numeracy, which are skills that underpin all other learning. These will provide parents and schools with easy-to-read information about what they mean for a student’s strength in literacy and numeracy. The statistical benchmarks for the new categories of achievement will also be confirmed by teachers with relevant experience.
Harmony Week
Harmony week is celebrated from 21st-27th March. During Harmony Week we acknowledge the diverse backgrounds of the people that call our country home. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we celebrate this during Harmony Week. The very first Harmony Week occurred in 1999 and since then government agencies, churches, schools and other community organisations hold events celebrating the core values of inclusiveness, respect, and belonging for all Australians regardless of cultural background, language or beliefs.
At OLOG we will celebrate Harmony Week a with a number of activities designed to acknowledge the cultural diversity of the families within our school community. We celebrate Harmony Day on TUESDAY 21 with a fun day where we encourage children to wear orange to school as a visible sign of our commitment to embrace what makes each of us unique and promote the acceptance of diversity in our school community. More details to come. To learn more about Harmony Day, please click on the following link. https://www.harmony.gov.au/
Have a wonderful week
Peace and Blessings
Josette Charles
Principal
Lent
Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent. The season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter when we relive the mystery of the Risen Christ and the light of hope it sheds on our whole existence.
When we speak to the children about Lent, there are three ways the Church teaches us we can truly turn our attention to God in our lives; through prayer, through ‘fasting’ or living in a way that is ‘simple’ and through giving to those in need.
We support Project Compassion through Lent, and we will also have a Simple Living Day on Wednesday 5th April, which was a successful initiative that we implemented last year.
More details will be provided, but the children will have a plain rice and bread roll lunch and participate in activities on the day to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us.
Masses
On 1st March the Year 6’s participated in a beautiful mass with the theme of ‘good thoughts and actions’.
Yesterday the Year 4/5’s participated in a mass with a Lenten theme of ‘Almsgiving’.
The Year 2/3’s are celebrating their mass on 22nd March at 9.15am.
Parents are most welcome to attend.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge was launched last week.
Please see your teacher or visit the website below for a Student Record Form or visit the website for more information; https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/parents-families/
NAPLAN
The Year 3’s and Year 5’s will participate in NAPLAN Testing next week.
We have scheduled the test for Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th and Friday 16th March.
Please refer to last Newsletter for specific times for the tests.
The children have been well prepared and sat a National Coordinated Test.
The NAPLAN Tests can cause some anxiety with children so please reinforce that the tests are a snap shot of their learning in a point of time.
There is a Public Demonstration Site; www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site
Where you can access some practise tests as well, if you would like to do this with your child.
Wishing you God’s Blessing
Debbie Scuteri
APRIM/Leader of Learning
Reminder to families wishing to access an up front payment discount, accounts must be paid in full by 31st March.
Families with accounts not paid in full must have entered into a payment plan arrangement. Please click here to access payment plan forms via the school's website
Please contact Kerri in Finance on 8177 9100 or finance@olog.catholic.edu.au should you wish to discuss your account payment arrangements.
Our Lady of Grace School is always looking for volunteer helpers.
If you would like to help at school excursions, sporting carnivals or co-curricular activities, we invite you to email the school for an application pack.
A friendly reminder around our process for Student Absenteeism.
Informing the school of absences
If your child is not going to be at school due to illness, or will be late due to an appointment, it is imperative that you inform the school by:
• Phoning the 24-hour student absentee phone number: 8177 9191 before 8.55am; or
• Completing the absentee form on the Skoolbag app; or
• By emailing the class teacher or olog@olog.catholic.edu.au
PLEASE ADVISE THE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY IF YOUR CHILD HAS COVID OR IS A CLOSE CONTACT.
Advance Notice of Absence / absence of more than five (5) days
For advance notice of your child’s absence, please complete the Application for Exemption from School Enrolment/Attendance Form, which is available from the Front Office.
Unexplained absence
If a child is not present and the school has not received an absentee call or email by 9:30am, the office will contact parents (generally via text) to ascertain the student’s whereabouts.
Should you have any queries regarding this process, please contact our office on 8177 9100.
We invite our community to the next coffee morning Friday March 31 starting from 8:45am.
Please join us on the back deck for a tea, coffee, snack and catch up with other parents and caregivers.
All welcome.
Mini Vinnes have been busy making Sports Day bracelets.
These will be available to order on Qkr! next week. Bracelets will cost $1.50 each.
OLOG SPORTS DAY-MARCELLIN CAMPUS-SOMERTON PARK
Friday 24th March 2023 is Our Lady of Grace's School Sports Day.
Sports Day will be held at Sacred Heart Marcellin Campus please see below for parent information and map details, Sports Day starts at 8.50am and ends approximately 1pm.
We would love to see all of our parents, caregivers and friends attend this fantastic and exciting day in the OLOG Calendar.
2023 Parent Sports Day Information
SOUTH WEST DISTRICTS FOOTBALL AND NETBALL TRIALS
These students have been selected to play in the South West District Trials taking place at
Westminster College on 14th March 2023.
We wish them the very best of luck!
Netball Football
Maggie Raymond Tommy Warnes
Grace Peel Jack Fanning
Maya Williamson Jett Dalby
Ashlyn Stevens Nicholas White-Loizou
April Leitis Levi Cook
Tiah Kenny Carter Taylor
Evie Moulsdale Mason Osborn
Lily Palumbo Max Adami
Alice Gallagher Jayden Tidswell
Lara Gluyas Connor Moorfield
Flynn Black
James Newbold
Liam Heinrich
Ryan James
Bryce Shepherdson
Last week our Year 4 students had the opportunity to participate in the Zoo Snooze. Without a doubt an unforgettable experience for all who attended!
Important Dates
Adelaide Cup-Public Holiday
Netball and Football South West District Trials @ Westminster College
P&F Meeting @ 7pm
OLOG Years 3&5 NAPLAN 15/3-21/3/2023
St Patrick's Day
School Board AGM @ 7pm
Harmony Day
Year 2/3 Mass @ 9:15am
OLOG's Sports Day @ SHC Marcellin Campus-Somerton Park
SACPSSA Swimming Carnival @ Marion Aquatic Centre
P&F Coffee Morning 8:45-9:30am
Pupil Free Day
School Tours-9:15am and 5pm
School Board Meeting @ 7pm
Simple Living Day
Good Friday-Public Holiday
Easter Monday-Public Holiday
End of Term 1 Dismissal @ 3:10pm
Pupil Free Day
Pupil Free Day
Pupil Free Day
Pupil Free Day
OLOG Icy Thursday's - BERRI ICY TUBE DONATIONS NEEDED
Orders must be placed through Qkr! by 8:30am on Thursdays, $1.00 per ice-block.
We invite donations of Berri Icy Tubes. These can be dropped into the front office. (Please refer to photo above). Preferably no Zooper Doopers due to high sugar content.
OLOG OSHC-Pupil Free Day
On Monday 3rd April, Camp Australia will be running OSHC on the Pupil Free Day at Our Lady of Grace School.
Time: 7:00am-6:15pm
Fees: $62.28 **Fee Prior to CCS Applied
Please follow the link below to register and book online.
If you require any support in making a booking, please see Camp Australia's Staff during service or contact Customer Care on 1300 105 343.
Enrolment at Sacred Heart College
For families who have children currently in Year 5 and are considering Sacred Heart College as a pathway for Year 7, 2025, enrolment applications are currently being accepted. Due to an increasingly high demand for placements, applications for this entry point will close at the end of Term 1, Friday 14 April 2023. Application forms can also be accessed anytime on our College website www.shc.sa.edu and if you have already submitted an application, you do not need to complete another form.
We have a number of advertised College Tours during 2023, which you are warmly welcome to attend and bookings can be made via the website under the Enrolment tab. Should you have any questions regarding the enrolment process, please contact the Enrolment Office on 8350 2500 or by email registrar@shc.sa.edu.au for further assistance.
Cabra Dominican College - Enrolment Applications
- Applications for Year 7, 2025 will close on Friday 14 April 2023.
- Siblings of existing students will need to complete an enrolment application form.
- Applications received after the above closing date will be placed onto a waitlist.
Cabra's final Principal’s tour for Term 1 will be held at the college on:
- Thursday 16 March at 9.15am
For more information please visit Cabra's website at www.cabra.catholic.edu.au
Social