Term 1, No. 5

8 april 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 28th April
(9:00 am - 9:30 am)

Parents and carers are welcome!

upComing Events

Term 1​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
  • Last Day of Term 1 (Students) - Thursday 10th April
  • Student Free Day - Friday 11th April
  • Term 2 Begins - Monday 28th April
  • OLOL Cross Country - Wednesday 7th May
  • Assembly (Grade 2) - Friday 9th May
  • Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Visit - Friday 9th May

Miss Wootton's Reflection

early years Leader

Every Day is a Building Block for Success


Dear Families, 

I’m writing to share with you today some thoughts on the importance of regular school attendance - especially during these early years when each day is a precious opportunity for growth, learning, and connection.

Every Minute Matters
Research shows that even small amounts of missed time can add up over the course of the year. For instance, missing just 10 minutes a day can equate to nearly 1.5 weeks of lost learning time each year. Imagine the impact when those minutes accumulate! When children are present each day, they benefit from every moment of structured learning, play, and social interaction that our school environment provides.

Building Strong Foundations
In these formative years, routines and consistency are key. When your child attends school regularly:
  • Learning builds on itself: Every lesson is interconnected. Missing even part of a day can create gaps that are hard to fill later.
  • Social skills blossom: Our school is a nurturing space where children learn to share, cooperate, and build friendships that support their emotional development.
  • Confidence grows: Regular attendance reinforces a child’s sense of responsibility and belonging, setting them up for future academic and personal success.

Our Shared Responsibility
Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we are committed to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. To help your child make the most of each day, consider these tips:
  • Limit technology before bedtime: Research indicates reducing screen time in the evenings can help your child wind down and get the restful sleep they need.
  • Communicate openly: If you ever have concerns about your child’s attendance or if they’re struggling with any challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to work together with you to ensure every child thrives.

Together, We Build a Brighter Future
Every day at Our Lady of Lourdes is an opportunity to learn, grow, and build a foundation for lifelong success. Let’s work together to make sure no minute of learning is missed - because every minute counts.
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Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to your child’s education. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please speak to your child’s teacher or a member of our leadership team. 

Warm regards,


Meg Wootton
Early Years Leader
Restrictions to Video Footage Published Online
Images or videos of students are a form of personal information (a record) which must be managed in accordance with the Federal privacy laws and the Tasmanian Catholic Education Commission Privacy Policy. With permission from parents, which is sought through the enrolment process, Our Lady of Lourdes is able to place images or videos online. However, we have an increasing number of students who cannot have their image published for safeguarding reasons. 
As per the Acceptable Use of Images Policy on our school website:  “Images of students who have not provided express consent to be featured online must not be used in any documents or materials intended to be produced as printed documents and subsequently published online such as school newsletters.”
This clearly raises the challenge of sharing video footage of events such as assemblies, carnivals or Whole School Prayer without breaching this privacy requirement. 
To continue supporting communication of events and parental engagement in this space, we will continue to take still images, which are then screened for ‘photo restrictions’ and then published.
We appreciate your understanding of this matter and commitment to ensuring the safety of our students at Our Lady of Lourdes. 

Kind regards
Our Lady of Lourdes Administration Team ​

RE NEWS

5th Sunday of Lent
Gospel Reading
John 8:1-11
Family Connection
There are few people that we know better than the members of our own family. We know one another's strengths and abilities, and we also know one another's limitations and weaknesses. Like the Pharisees in today's Gospel, we may be tempted to focus on the faults and sins that familiarity with one another can sometimes reveal. As family members, however, we also have the ability to see one another's faults and sins within the context of the whole person. When we can keep this perspective, we are more likely to look upon one another with compassion. Family life, then, presents us the opportunity to see one another as God sees us, not with judgment and condemnation for our weaknesses and failings, but with mercy and compassion. When we learn to withhold judgment for the faults we know are there and seek the best in one another, we help one another to experience the depths of God's compassion, mercy, and love.
As you gather as a family, observe that when we know people well we know their faults as well as their strengths. At times, we can be tempted to focus on the faults we see in others. Discuss what your family life would be like if you always focused on one another's faults. Observe that in today's Gospel, Jesus refuses to focus on the sin of the woman brought to him for judgment. We can help each other to grow in God's love by refusing to focus on one another's faults and sins. In this way, we can help one another to see ourselves as God sees us: with understanding and compassion. 
Loyola Press. (2025). Sunday Connection. Loyola Press. Retrieved from https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/

​Enrollment for the Sacramental Program
The Sacramental Programme in the Mersey Leven Parish will begin in May 2025.
The Application Forms will be available this week in ALL the Mass Centres and in ALL the Catholic Schools.
Applications should be handed over to the Parish Office or to the School Office BEFORE 10th April 2025.
Who can apply? - Students from Grade 3 & above.
Sacramental Programme will be handled by a Team of Teachers & Helpers.
If you are willing to be a part of the Sacramental Team to prepare children, please inform Catherine Dunn / Elizabeth Cox or Fr Sunil.
Receiving the sacraments is a special time in our journey of faith, and it is the means by which baptised children can complete their journey into full membership of the Catholic Church. They are community events, which remind us of the role of the community in our faith life.
Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation and one you have chosen for your child. Our sacramental programme offers parents a convenient process to enable the reception of further sacraments for their child.
The gift of God's Holy Spirit which the children received in Baptism is strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation, and the children complete their initiation with the reception of first Holy Communion - a public declaration that they are now fully a part of this community, this "Communion" of God's family.
The programme itself strives to help them grow into a church community, and feel a real sense of belonging to the wider Family of God.

Thank you,
Fr Sunil

School news

MYTERN (Take Emotional Responsibility Now)
MYTERN is a powerful communal language that helps students, staff, parents, carers and grandparents handle the daily stressors of life. The effect of minor stressors such as an argument with a friend, a nasty look or nasty word, lower test results than anticipated, not looking good, or not being chosen for a team, can easily go unnoticed, resulting in the development of more serious problems. We cannot eradicate the daily stressors of life. Therefore, MYTERN, combined with other strategies that we already have in place, will strengthen our community’s ability to handle these everyday stressors. MYTERN focuses on creating emotional intelligence, health and resilience, helping all of us deal with everyday situations (be they positive or negative) in a realistic and practical manner. Like reading and writing, this skill is acquired through daily practice, and is just as essential a skill to master as literacy and numeracy. That is why it is so important that the language of MYTERN is practised both at school and at home. To help us facilitate this at home, we recommend that you also download the MYTERN App, follow MYTERNCITY Facebook page or subscribe to the MYTERNCITY Instagram. This will not only help embed the language into your vocab but also assist in applying the skill daily, as the app delivers a message from Monday to Friday at random times within the hours of your choice. We will also be providing a weekly/fortnightly post, educating our community on what MYTERN is and how we can embed the language in our everyday experiences. We are excited about introducing MYTERN and are looking forward to hearing about the different roads that each of you will travel.

​Kinder 2026 Enrolment Applications
Kindergarten Enrolment Applications for 2026 close on Friday 4th of July 2025.
Existing families with siblings born in 2021, please ensure that you have submitted an Enrolment Application to the office.
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​Before School Supervision
A reminder to families that students are NOT supervised by staff prior to 8:30am each morning. Students are not permitted to be in the school grounds before 8:30am or after 3:30pm, unless they are involved in a supervised activity.

Canteen
Canteen Late Order Menu on Qkr
Miss the 8.45am cutoff? The canteen now offers a Late Order Menu, which is available on Qkr until 10am.
*Please note: This is a very limited menu, sandwiches/toasties and just a few snacks.

​Breakfast Club
Breakfast club is held in the school canteen each school day from 8am until 8:40am.  
The first meal of the day is a chance to get the energy we need to learn, play and stay healthy. While most Australian children eat breakfast, skipping breakfast is still common.  Children who eat breakfast have better school attendance, better academic performance and improved wellbeing. Eating breakfast is associated with better dietary and physical activity behaviours.
Everyone is welcome to Breakfast Club.

Picking up Children Early
Our Lady of Lourdes reminds parents to provide advance notice if you are picking up your child early. An email to [email protected] is the best communication method. Phone call is also an option. It allows for advance preparation if the office staff are given significant advance notice as organising students to leave class or specialist lessons can take some time. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Playing in the Playground After School
It is our school expectation that if parents choose to allow their children to play in our playground after school then it is their responsibility to supervise and support them to be Respectful, Responsible and Safe through direct behaviour support of their own child and modelling of appropriate adult behaviour.  Effectively, you are responsible for your child after you have collected them at the end of the day. Our school gates will continue to be locked at 3:30pm each day.  We do ask that you please ensure you have left our school grounds by then.

Head Knocks at School
If your child presents to First Aid with a head knock, we will assess and treat it with ice. If they appear fine your child will go back to class where they will be monitored by Staff. The office will send you an SMS so you are aware and able to check in with your child when they get home. If we are at all worried about your child we will phone you so they can be collected.

School Gates
The school Steele Street gates are now locked from 3:30 pm each day.
If requiring any assistance after this time, please come to the Stewart Street school entrance and knock for assistance.

Buses
Please contact Merseylink/Kinetic on 6427 7626 for further information on routes and times. If your child will be catching the bus, please contact the office with your child's name and the bus number and we will add them to our daily bus lists.

Drop Off and Pick Up
In order to avoid congestion at the end of the day, please be reminded that students are not to wait for collection at the main office.  
We would appreciate families accessing our school by the 2 main external entry/exit points, rather than the main office doors.
  • Main gates from Steele Street Carpark
  • Side gate near Parish Hall 
We thank you and your children for your cooperation.

Pick Up Zone
A reminder to families to drive around the block if Steele Street entrance to the school is full with parked cars from 2:50pm. Staff are on duty to 3:20pm enabling pick at any time within 30 mins after school.

Morning Entry to Classes
A reminder to families, when entering the classrooms of a morning Prep - Grade 2 are to use the front blue sliding door and Grades 3 - 6 use the back oval doors.

Little Treasures Program
Our Little Treasures Program runs on Fridays 9:30 - 11am in our Kinder classroom. Please bring a drink and fruit. All members of the community with children from Birth to 5 years old are welcome. 

Uniform Shop School Holiday Hours
NW Regional Basketball Tournament
​OLOL would like to take a moment to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the NW Regional Basketball Tournament.
To the parents/carers, your support and dedication to the athletes is invaluable, and we appreciate your presence throughout the weekend.
To the coaches, thank you for your leadership, guidance, and commitment to helping our players grow both on and off the court.
And to the referees, your professionalism and fair play have ensured that the tournament ran smoothly and respectfully.
A special shoutout to the 6 basketball teams who competed fiercely, showing incredible sportsmanship and skill throughout the weekend.
Thank you to everyone who made this tournament possible. Your involvement and enthusiasm were key to making this event a memorable experience for all.

Student of the Week

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 1
Friday 7th February - Thursday 10th April
 TERM 2
Monday 28th April - Friday 4th July
TERM 3
Tuesday 22nd July - Friday 26th September
TERM 4
Tuesday 14th October - Thursday 18th December