TERM 3, NO. 1
5 AUGUST 2026

Our Lady of Lourdes catholic school

​We are Respectful

Whole School
​Prayer

Monday 10th August
Founder's Day
​(9:00am - 9:30am)
Parents and carers are welcome!
We are Responsible
We are Safe

upComing Events

Term 3​
  • Tasmanian Premier's Challenge - Monday 22nd June - Sunday 30th August
  • Camp Rock - Reece High Production (Grade 5 & 6) - Thursday 6th August 
  • Assembly (Grade 5) - Friday 7th August​
  • Catholic Education Week - Saturday 8th August - Friday 14th August
  • ​Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass - Saturday 8th August
  • Founder's Day Celebration - Monday 10th August
  • Catholic Education Week Mass (Grade 5/6) - Tuesday 11th August
  • Sport Photos - Tuesday 18th August
  • Assembly (Grade 1) - Friday 21st August
  • Book Week Dress-up Day - Wednesday 26th August
  • Father's Day Breakfast & Celebration - Wednesday 2nd September
  • Devonport Eisteddfod - Monday 7th - Wednesday 9th September
Welcome back to Term 3. I hope all families enjoyed a safe winter break. It is lovely to see the days already stretching out again, even if the mornings are still very fresh on top cement!

We began the term with our Staff Formation Day on the student free day. Our theme, Cottage to Community, invited us to trace the origins and history of Our Lady of Lourdes then reflect on our own part in its unfolding story. In the afternoon we welcomed back past staff for afternoon tea, a tour and the sharing of stories. It was a wonderful and very tangible way of connecting with our living history and we are grateful for the chance to honour those who helped shape our school.

This coming Saturday is Mary Mackillop Feast Day which we are celebrating at the OLOL Church at 5pm Mass on Saturday afternoon, followed by on Monday 10 August our Whole School Prayer, activities and a sausage sizzle as a school community. Mary Mackillop holds deep significance for our school because she is Australia’s first saint and the founder of the Sisters of St Joseph who established Our Lady of Lourdes. Her life was marked by courage, compassion and a steadfast commitment to ensuring children received an education regardless of circumstance. When we celebrate her feast day, we honour her legacy, we recognise the Josephite charism that continues to shape our school and we reflect on her call to never see a need without doing something about it. 

Next week also marks Catholic Education Week, where our Grade 6s will be joining other members of the NW Coast community at a Mass at Sacred Heart in Ulverstone on Tuesday. That same afternoon we will also welcome our Interim Executive Director, Dr Terry McCarthy to tour our school.

As we move further into the year, we have also begun planning for 2027. We warmly invite feedback from our community and you will find the link below if you would like to contribute your thoughts.

Yours in faith,

Emily Sass.

School news

Book Week Dress Up Day - Wednesday 26th August
Can you hear it? The pages are turning, the stories are gathering, and the excitement is building…
The theme for 2026 Children’s Book Week has officially been announced, and it’s… Symphony of Stories!
It’s time to start dreaming, imagining and planning! Which book character will you become? What wonderful stories will inspire this year’s costumes?
We can’t wait to see our school come alive with colourful characters, big imaginations and a celebration of the books that make us laugh, wonder and dream.

Tasmanian Premier's Reading Challenge - 22 June - 30 August
The Premier's Reading Challenge is now in week 7!
Student Book Reviews
Students are encouraged to share what they are reading by writing a book review for the PRC website. Book reviews will be updated at the end of each week of the Challenge.
By submitting a review, students go into the draw to win a $50 book voucher. There are 12 up for grabs! The prizes will be drawn once the PRC has finished, and the PRC Team will contact the PRC Coordinator or family of the winning students.
If students are looking for inspiration about what to read next, check out the Book Lists and Book Reviews.
Additional reading logs are available from the library for students who are challenging themselves to read more than 10 books.

important reminders

Save the date…Father’s Day Breakfast - Wednesday 2nd September
We look forward to celebrating our fathers and father figures at our annual Father's Day Breakfast on Wednesday 2 September. Further details will be shared at the start of Term 3, with breakfast orders opening in the weeks leading up to the event.
​Watch this space!

Religious Education

Mary MacKillop Feast Day - Saturday 8 August
We warmly invite all families to join us in celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Mary MacKillop with an OLOL Children's Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Saturday 8 August at 5:00pm. As a proud Josephite school, this is a special occasion for our whole community. We hope to see you there!

Founder's Day - Monday 10 August
Following our Mary MacKillop Feast Day celebrations, we are excited to mark Founder's Day on Monday 10 August. Students will spend time with their buddy classes exploring our school charisms together, before enjoying a special sausage sizzle shared lunch at first lunch. It promises to be a wonderful day celebrating the spirit and mission of Saint Mary MacKillop.

Catholic Education Week Mass - Tuesday 11 August
Our Grade 6 students will have the honour of representing Our Lady of Lourdes at the Catholic Education Week Mass on Tuesday 11 August at Sacred Heart Church in Ulverstone. Joining students from Catholic schools across the North West Coast, this is a wonderful opportunity for our Grade 6 community to come together in faith and celebrate what makes our Catholic schools so special. We are very proud to have them represent us.
Friendology
In late 2016, writer and author Kasey Edwards reached out to me and asked: Should parents get involved in their kids’ friendships? As she detailed in her article that published in The Sydney Morning Herald, my answer was simple: No.
As I said to Kasey, the message that we want to give our children is, “You’ve got this!” not, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this for you!”

Try thinking of yourself as a “Friendship Coach.” Coaches don’t go out there and play the game for their players. Instead, they give them advice and send them to play. Then, they stand back on the sidelines and watch. When they call their team in, they point out what they saw and give the players some tips and guidance. It should work that way with parents too, coaching your children through their friendships.

Here’s how Kasey so eloquently put it: 
Rather than acting as lead negotiator in our children’s relationships, we should support them and coach from the sidelines with the following Dos and Don’ts:
  • Reframe friendship altercations as opportunities to learn valuable skills
Research shows that children who have good social skills grow up to be more functional and successful adults. And the good news is that these skills can be taught.
“Like all skills, social skills take practice and don’t come naturally to all children,” says Kerford.
When our children are experiencing friendship problems it’s an opportunity for us to help them learn vital social skills, build resilience and strengthen their empathy.
  • Listen and empathise
While listening seems so simple, it’s probably often overlooked for that very reason. Just like adults, when kids talk about their problems they want to feel heard, validated and understood.
Kerford says that we need to remind ourselves that what might seem small to an adult can loom large in the eyes of a child; so large that it can seem overwhelming.
“Tune in and ask direct, specific questions,” says Kerford. “Often children have a hard time articulating what’s going on, they just ‘feel bad’. Help them put a voice to it by digging deeper.”
  • Encourage kids to stand up for themselves
When my daughter talks to me about her friendship problems, my default response is to say to her the things that were said to me. “Just ignore him”, “Walk away”, “She’s just jealous” are the kinds of phrases that instantly spring to mind.
But Kerford says that these responses can be too passive and minimising. She suggests taking some time to listen and empathise - and then follow up by asking “Did you stand up for yourself?”
Rather than retreating, we should encourage our kids to confront their problems and not simply put up with bad behaviour.
Kerford suggests asking kids what they could do differently next time and role-play different scenarios so they feel practised and more confident.
  • Teach kids the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships
This one is the sort of advice that will be useful right into adulthood.
It’s important for our kids to know that they are in control of their lives. Kerford says that this includes the people they choose to surround themselves with. Do their friends make them feel good about themselves? If not, they should minimise the time they spend with people who make them feel bad and spend most of their time with friends who treat them well.
“Let them know that trust and respect are ‘must haves’ when it comes to friendship,” Kerford says. “Don’t say, ‘This is just something all girls must go through.’ This statement tells a girl she must suffer through and she is helpless. We cannot normalise the behaviours of ‘mean girls’.”
  • What about bullies?
There’s a lot of talk about bullies and bullying at the moment. But Kerford’s advice is to avoid the word altogether. The reason is that it’s often misused and leads children - and their parents - to label kids. Instead, she suggests the term “mean-on-purpose”.
“Children understand what this means and know when someone is intentionally trying to hurt them.”
Parents can help their kids come up with a quick comeback statement to combat mean-on-purpose behaviour. It doesn’t have to be an Oscar Wildean witticism. A simple “Not cool”, “Wow” or “That was really mean” will suffice.
Quick comeback statements should be delivered in a strong voice with authoritative body language, and then the child should walk away.
“If they’ve tried using a quick comeback and the person continues to be mean-on-purpose, that’s when an adult needs to get involved,” says Kerford. “It’s the responsibility of the adults (parents and teachers) to ensure that children feel safe and supported.”
  • Be a good role model
Anyone who’s sworn their head off during a spot of road rage only to have their little darling repeat it the next day at Grandma’s house knows our kids are watching us and modelling our behaviour. Especially, it seems, the bad bits.
“I know it’s so much pressure on parents, but their children are watching them and mirror their behaviour. If we don’t want our child to gossip, we don’t gossip” says Kerford. “If we don’t want our child to yell, we don’t yell. It’s as simple as this: If you want your child to be kind, show them what being kind looks like.”
  • Tell stories
Sometimes our kids forget that we were once kids too. Providing examples from our own life experience or of other people overcoming similar difficulties can help guide kids to a solution.
“Sharing your stories about some of the ups and downs you experienced in friendships when you were their age helps your child view you as not just mum or dad, but as someone who’s been there before,” Kerford says.

Kasey Edwards is a writer and best-selling author. www.kaseyedwards.com

​

Sports Update & Information

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

student of the week

    Week 10                                                                           Week 1

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
ADULT BEHAVIOUR POLICY (UPDATED)
PUROSE OF POLICY:
The aims of this policy are twofold:
  • To set out clear standards for the behaviour of adults when in a Catholic Education Tasmania (CET) workplace.
  • To support CET workers to establish and maintain strong and healthy relationships with other members of the CET community.​

OLOL School Calendar

Term Dates

2026
​
Term 3
Tuesday 28th July - Friday 2nd October
(Student Free Day Monday 27th July)
Term 4
Tuesday 20th October - Thursday 17th December
(Student Free Day Monday 19th October)
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