Term 3, No. 2

12 August 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 18th August (9:00 - 9:30)
ECE (1M)
Parents and carers are welcome!

upComing Events

Term 3
  • Premier's Reading Challenge (Kinder - Grade 6) - Monday 16 June - Sunday 24 August
  • ​SBSC Production - Legally Blonde (Grade 6) - Thursday 14 August
  • Assembly (Grade 4) - Friday 15 August
  • ​Book Week Character Dress Up Day - Wednesday 20 August
  • Canteen Pizza Special Day - Wednesday 20 August
  • Assembly (Grade 2) - Friday 29 August
  • Father's Day Breakfast - Monday 8 September​

REFLECTIONs:

mr Mcculloch                  Mrs gratton

acting principal                                       Deputy principal

Dear Families,
Last week, we celebrated Catholic Education Week, which concluded with the Feast of Mary MacKillop on Friday, 8 August. Our students and staff marked this special occasion on Monday with festivities led by Mrs Eloise Mackie.

As a leadership team, we have been looking for ways to increase our communication through the newsletter. Following consultation with the school’s Advisory Board, our focus is to provide families with greater insight into the philosophies, practices, and procedures of the school. Mrs Eve Gratton and Miss Meg Wootton will take turns sharing updates on Pastoral Care and Wellbeing and Learning and Teaching matters. We hope these regular updates will strengthen our partnership with families and deepen understanding of our work at school.

A key strategic focus for us this term is enhancing student engagement. This priority emerged from the results of our School Effectiveness Survey, which was completed earlier this year by staff, students, and parents. As part of this work, our teacher observation cycles this term are centred around student engagement. Last week, Dr Jeff Thomas (SSL: Pastoral Care and Wellbeing) presented to staff on student engagement and motivation.

Throughout the term, we will also seek student input to understand what helps them feel engaged and motivated in their learning. Dr Thomas highlighted the link between how students feel about education, what they think about education, and ultimately how they act toward education. This reinforces the important role families play in reinforcing the value of learning and sparking conversations at home about what motivates children or what helped them feel engaged during the day. 

We understand that this can be challenging—especially when “What did you do at school today?” is met with the classic “Not much!” response. Still, even small, open-ended questions can help uncover meaningful insights into your child’s school experience.
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The image below illustrates a simple memory model, highlighting that attention (engagement) is central to the learning process.

Kind regards

​Ben McCulloch
Hobbolog. (2022, April 22). Limited capacity attention: What are the implications for education? Hobbolog. https://hobbolog.wordpress.com/2022/04/22/limited-capacity-attention-what-are-the-implications-for-education/
Promoting Safety and Respect: Bullying and Behaviour at OLOL
At Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, we are committed to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for every student. As part of our school’s commitment to student wellbeing, it is important that our families understand how we define bullying and how we respond to unacceptable behaviours, in line with Catholic Education Tasmania (CET) policies.

What is Bullying?
Bullying is not a single act of unkindness or conflict.
​Rather, it is defined as:
“An ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical, or social behaviour intended to cause physical, social, or psychological harm.”

Bullying behaviour may take the form of:
  • Verbal (e.g. name-calling, threats)
  • Physical (e.g. hitting, pushing)
  • Social (e.g. exclusion, spreading rumours)
  • Cyber (e.g. online harassment, hurtful posts or messages)
This behaviour is repeated over time and involves a power imbalance. It is important to distinguish bullying from one-off disagreements or rough play, which while still concerning, are managed differently.

Our Response to Behaviour at OLOL
As a Catholic school, we seek to understand the why behind behaviour and to respond in a way that respects the dignity of each student. Our school’s Positive Behaviour Protocol and CET’s Response to Unacceptable Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures guide our approach to both prevention and intervention.

Key features of our approach include:
  • Early intervention and support: Staff aim to address behaviour early and provide support to help students make positive choices
  • Fair and respectful process: Students and families are given the opportunity to respond and participate in discussions before any formal action is taken.
  • Proportional consequences: When behaviour poses a risk or does not improve, actions such as internal or external suspension, negotiated transfer, or - only in extreme cases - expulsion, may be considered.
  • Reintegration planning: Students returning from suspension participate in a reintegration meeting to support learning, restore relationships, and set expectations.
Where there is an immediate threat to safety, the Principal has the authority to suspend a student immediately and such actions are followed up with formal documentation and communication to families.

Support for Students and Families
All students are entitled to:
  • Feel safe and respected
  • Learn in a positive, supportive environment
  • Be treated with dignity and fairness
Families are an essential part of our approach. We involve you in conversations, provide clarity around expectations, and offer support to help your child reflect and grow.

When bullying occurs, we focus on restoring relationships, ensuring safety, and teaching strategies for respectful interactions moving forward.

We believe that by working in partnership, we can guide our young people to become respectful, responsible, and resilient. Ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive at OLOL. If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re always welcome to speak with us directly, or to view the CET Response to Unacceptable Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures on their website.

For further details, you can view the Catholic Education Tasmania Response to Unacceptable Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures on their website, or contact the school if you have any concerns or questions.

We thank you for your ongoing partnership.

Kind regards,

Eve Gratton

School news

Canteen - Pizza Special Day
Pizza Special Day - Wednesday 20th August
Ham & Cheese Pizza     $7.00
Cheese Pizza                 $7.00
GF Ham & Cheese         $7.50
GF Cheese                     $7.50
*Orders will close Monday 18th August. There will be no other lunch orders on this day.

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​Children's Book Week Dress-up Day - Wednesday 20th August
Our upcoming Dress-Up Day for Book Week is on Wednesday 20th of August. To celebrate the magic of literature and encourage a love for reading, students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character.
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Premier's Reading Challenge (June 16 - August 24)
The Premier's Reading Challenge is drawing to a close, finishing on Sunday 24th August. All completed reading logs must be handed into Mrs Marshall in the library by Thursday 28th August. 
Students who complete the Challenge and hand in their reading logs will be awarded certificates and go into a school prize draw.
If you have any queries about the challenge don't hesitate to speak to Mrs Marshall in the library or visit The Premier's Reading Challenge website:
https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/about-us/events/premiers-reading-challenge/
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Father's Day Breakfast - Monday 8 September
Our Father’s Day Breakfast will be held on Monday 8th September, from 7.30 - 8.30am in the McCarthy Centre.
*Orders are now open in the QKR App.

Egg & Bacon Roll - $6.00   (GF Egg & Bacon Roll - $8.00)
Sausage in Bread - $3.50   (GF Sausage in Bread - $4.50)
Orange or Apple Juice Box - $3.00
Chocolate or Strawberry Milk - $3.00
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When placing your order:
  • Please place 1 ORDER ONLY per family, for everyone attending.
  • Please place the order under the ELDEST CHILD'S NAME.
  • Upon arriving at the breakfast, please approach the appropriate desk (Kinder - 2 or Grade 3 - 6) and collect your order form.
  • Then approach the servery with your form and collect your breakfast.
Orders will close Monday 1st September at 9.30am.​
*Strictly no late orders will be accepted.

​Vinnies School Essentials Program
Vinnies School Essentials Program runs for the whole school year and is available to anyone that is finding things tough.
We can help with Uniform, Sports shoes, bag, lunch boxes, drink bottles, sports rego, camps and other things that benefit a child's education.
  • Kinder to grade 6 up to $150.
  • Grade 7 to 12 up to $250.

​James Cook University Research Project
​Calling all parents and carers, students at James Cook University are conducting a research project exploring parental burnout. The team are particularly interested in hearing from parents of neurodivergent children, but all parents and carers are invited to participate.  
Your input will add valuable knowledge to the field, supporting further research and understanding of parental stress and burnout. 
Thank you for helping us support families in our community!
To access the survey, click on the link below:

Religious Education

Feast of St. Mary Mackillop
This week, our school community celebrated the Feast of St. Mary Mackillop - Australia’s First Saint. Mary opened her first school in Penola in 1866 and founded the Sisters of St. Joseph, the religious congregation who opened our school. Mary Mackillop was a woman who worked endlessly for others, especially for families who couldn't afford to send their children to school. 

The Gospel reading that was the focus of our Whole School Prayer this week focused on St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians:
“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So always do these things: show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle and patient… Everything you say and everything you do should all be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus”

Mary Mackillop was a woman of great faith and she drew strength and courage from her deep trust in God. She modelled her life on the teachings of Jesus. The lessons we learn from St. Paul, were lived by Mary Mackillop.  

During Whole School Prayer, our students had the opportunity to look at the Mary Mackillop Commemorative Toile. This is a textile design that was made to commemorate Mary Mackillop’s expected Beatification in 1993 which was the first step of becoming a saint. We have a toile that is framed and hung proudly in our school, just inside the Blue Doors.
 
The toile is a pattern of 31 illustrations that show scenes from Mary Mackillop’s life, including what life was like in religious, outback Australia and home settings. Students reflected that although life in Australia was very different to life in Australia now, the message of Mary Mackillop remains the same; live a life with love and compassion towards others and helping the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities. 

At Our Lady of Lourdes, our school charism highlights the way Mary Mackillop lived, and what we strive to instill into the hearts of all our students; to live compassionate, humble, courageous lives, while standing up for justice and the dignity of all, with an unwavering trust in God to guide us, just like Mary did. 

​Mrs Eloise Mackie
​REC

Student of the Week

Week 2

Sports Update & Information


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

Devonport Basketball Spring Roster
A reminder that registrations for the Devonport Basketball Spring Roster closes this Thursday 14th August. For further information and registration details visit OLOL Website under OLOL Sport.

Devonport Junior Soccer – Season Extension
Due to wet weather on Saturday, 26th July, the games originally scheduled for that day will now be played on Saturday, 30th August.
Please refer to the original 26th July roster for game times and ground allocations as well as canteen roster information.  

2025 All Schools Triathlon
🏃‍♂️🏊‍♀️🚴‍♂️ Open to students in Grades 3–6 only
📍 Entry forms are available from the school library
🗓️ All forms must be returned by 12th September
👥 Teams of 2 or 3 people
✍️ All forms must be signed by a parent or guardian
For further information and registration details visit OLOL Website under OLOL Sport.

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 3
Tuesday 22nd July - Friday 26th September
TERM 4
Tuesday 14th October - Thursday 18th December
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