Term 4, No. 1

21 October 2025

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

​We are Respectful
We are Responsible
We are Safe
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is located on the traditional lands of the Punnilerpanner people of the North Nation. We acknowledge and deeply respect the Palawa people, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community, and all Elders past and present. We are committed to learning alongside our students and community in this place, and support the continued sharing of knowledge and culture.

What's On?

Whole School
​Prayer

Monday 27th October (9:00 - 9:30)
ECE (PB)
Parents and carers are welcome!

upComing Events

Term 4
  • OLOL Book Fair - Tuesday 21st (Grade 3-6) & Wednesday 22nd (Kinder - Grade 2) October
  • OLOL Kinder Athletics Carnival - Wednesday 22 October
  • Assembly (Prep) - Friday 24th October
  • Prep Wonder Walk (Devonport Community Garden) - Tuesday 28th October
  • Public Holiday (Recreation Day) - Monday 3rd November
  • OLOL Volunteers Afternoon Tea - Wednesday 5th November
  • Blue Day Fundraiser - Wednesday 5th November
  • ​2026 Kinder Orientation Session 1 - Friday 7th November

mrs gratton's reflection                  

deputy principal                                       

Nurturing Student Engagement at Our Lady of Lourdes

Dear Families,
At Our Lady of Lourdes, we believe that when students are truly engaged, they flourish, academically, socially and spiritually. Engagement is more than simply participating in lessons; it’s about students feeling a deep sense of belonging, purpose and connection to their learning, their teachers and their peers.

This term, our staff have continued to focus on creating classroom environments where every student:
  • Feels safe, supported and encouraged to learn and grow
  • Is offered choices and challenges that make learning meaningful and relevant
  • Has opportunities to collaborate, think deeply and take thoughtful risks
  • Knows their voice is heard and valued within their classroom community

To support this focus, educators have been gathering feedback directly from students through classroom check-ins and engagement reflections. These valuable insights help us shape learning experiences that align with students’ interests, strengths and needs, ensuring every learner feels connected and motivated.

As always, we recognise that families play an essential role in nurturing engagement. When you take an interest in what your child is learning, celebrate their effort and encourage their curiosity, you are reinforcing the message that learning is valuable and lifelong.

Together, as a faith-filled learning community, we are shaping young people who are confident, curious and connected. Learners who know they belong and can succeed.


Kind regards,
Eve
Parent Invitation for Class Requests for 2026
Class allocation for 2026, involves a variety of factors including balancing the academic, social and emotional needs of all of our students. Our staff are in the best position to objectively do this. They spend 800 hours with your child over the school year. We also wish to work with you as parents if you have valid concerns for class allocation in 2026. 

Please contact the school between Tuesday 23rd September and Friday 31st October in writing outlining your request and the appropriate reasons for the request to:  [email protected] 

Not all parent requests can or will be granted. This decision will be the Principal’s, based on conversations between leadership staff and class teachers following the parent request.

Our Lady of Lourdes Class Formation Policy provides a clear framework for the process of placing children into classes and ensure Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School:
  • Provides each child with the opportunity to be part of a class of children where they will have the best opportunity to learn.
  • Provides evenly balanced classes in which the social, emotional, academic, spiritual and physical needs of each child are taken into account.
  • Ensures that optimum use is made of prior knowledge that teachers, parents and other key stakeholders have of each child before class placement.
Please note that as part of the class formation process teachers gather information on student friendships which inform the construction of classes. 

We do state that this process does take us considerable time and discernment, therefore any parent requests received after 31st October will not be considered. Furthermore, once classes have been formed and announced it is no longer possible to make changes without significantly impacting other students, compelling needs or parental requests. 

School news


​Scholastic Book Fair (PRC Voucher Winners)
Congratulations to the following winners of OLOL Premier's Reading Challenge participation prize draw:
Sanduli Herath (4B)
Jorja Ward (2B)
Max Batten (1B)

Each of our three winners won a $30.00 voucher to spend at OLOL Book Fair.

​OLOL Volunteers Afternoon Tea - Wednesday 5th November (2:00 - 2:55pm)
At OLOL, we’re so blessed to have such a generous community of volunteers who give their time, hearts and helping hands in so many ways - from classrooms to carnivals, canteens to celebrations and sports. Every smile, story and small act of kindness helps make our school the special place it is - full of care, connection and community spirit.
We’d love to celebrate our amazing OLOL volunteers with a special Afternoon Tea on Wednesday, 5th November (2:00 - 2:55pm)
It’s our way of saying a big thank you for everything you do for our school community. 
Please let us know if you can join us by filling out this quick form:
https://forms.gle/YpUYgonW8eRR7uwi6
We can’t wait to celebrate you!

OLOL Orientation Day
Our Lady of Lourdes students will participate in our internal Orientation Day on Wednesday 3rd December.
This special day provides an opportunity for students to meet their 2026 teacher and classmates in a relaxed and welcoming environment. 
Students will spend time in their new classroom from 9:15am to 1:15pm, beginning to build relationships that will support a smooth and confident transition into the new school year.
Please note: This date does not coincide with St Brendan-Shaw College’s Orientation Day for students commencing Year 7 in 2026. 
Our Grade 6 students will be located in an alternate space and will act as helpers throughout the day, supporting younger students with adjustment and change as they settle into their new environment.
At the conclusion of the day, parents will be notified via Compass regarding their child’s class placement for 2026.
We look forward to partnering with you and your child to foster continued growth and learning throughout 2026 and beyond.

Families Leaving Our Lady of Lourdes 2026
Please inform the School Office if your family will be leaving OLOL at the end of this year or in 2026 (excluding 2025 Grade 6), as we currently have families on our waitlist.
Email: [email protected]
*Under the enrolment form, signed by parents - 10 weeks notice is required
Thank you all of our families for your ongoing support.
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2026 Schedule of Fees

Religious educATION

Gratitude 
As we journey through towards the end of the school year, it's a wonderful time to pause and reflect on one of the most beautiful virtues we can nurture in our hearts: gratitude.

Gratitude is more than just saying "thank you"- it’s a way of seeing the world. It means recognising the good in our lives, even in challenging moments, and appreciating the people and experiences that shape us. Whether it's thanking God for the blessings we receive, acknowledging our teachers for their dedication, or appreciating the kindness of friends and family, gratitude helps us grow into compassionate, thoughtful individuals.

In this week’s Whole School Prayer, students heard the Gospel story of ten people healed by Jesus. Yet, only one returned to say thank you. This simple act of gratitude stood out to Jesus - and it reminds us how powerful and meaningful a heartfelt "thank you" can be.

We can also look to Saint Mary MacKillop, as a shining example of gratitude in action. Despite facing many hardships, Mary remained thankful and faithful. She said, “Let us be grateful for the privilege of serving Him.” This quote reminds us that even in our daily tasks - whether learning, teaching, helping others, or simply being present - we are given the opportunity to serve with love and purpose. Gratitude transforms ordinary moments into sacred ones. Her life was a testament to appreciating the small blessings and showing kindness to others, especially through her work in education and care for the poor.

So, let’s take inspiration from Mary MacKillop and the grateful leper in the Gospel. Let’s be the ones who notice the rainbow after the storm, who thank our teachers for their lessons, and who appreciate the love of our families and friends. Gratitude doesn’t just change our perspective - it can transform our community.

​This week, let’s challenge ourselves to say thank you more often. To God. To each other. And to the world around us.

Mrs Mackie

Sports Update & Information

For further information regarding sporting events please visit the Website under the heading
​OLOL Sport

🏉 Devonport Touch Football – Grades 2–6 
Wednesdays  22nd Sept – 10th December
Open to all students in Grades 2 to 6
👉 Register online: https://touchfootball.com.au/

🏊🚴‍♂️🏃 Triathlon Update
Entries are now closed.
Thank you to everyone who registered

🏉 Girls AFL
Commencing 14th November
Girls in Grades 4 to 6 are invited to join the upcoming AFL program!
👉 To express interest, please complete the OLOL Google Form no later 9am Wednesday 15th October
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​Congratulations Seth Ramasinghe!
At the end of September, Seth represented Tasmania in the National School Futsal Championship held in Brisbane, as part of the Under 11 Tasmanian Futsal Team. This was his fourth selection as a state representative.
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Over the course of the tournament, Seth scored 14 goals across 5 matches. At the official tournament presentation, he was honoured with the Australian All Star award - a recognition given to standout players at the national level.

Mersey Leven Catholic parish

Weekend Masses
Saturday Vigil
  • 5:00pm St Mary's, Penguin
  • 5:00pm Our Lady of Lourdes Devonport
Sunday
  • 8:00am St Joseph, Port Sorell
  • 9:00am Sacred Heart, Ulverstone
  • 9:30am Our Lady of Lourdes, Devonport
  • 11:30am Holy Cross, Sheffield
  • 5:00pm St Patrick, Latrobe

POLICY IN FOCUS

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Attendance Policy

RATIONAL
Attending every school day is essential to enable student to achieve the most from their education and to achieve quality outcomes in their lives.
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OLOL School Calendar

Term Dates

2025

TERM 4
Tuesday 14th October - Wednesday 17th December
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