Term 4, No. 5

16 december 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 9th February (9:00 - 9:30)
All Classes
Parents and carers are welcome!

upComing Events

Term 4​​​​
  • Grade 6 Graduation Ceremony - Tuesday 16th December (6:00pm - 7:30pm)
  • Final Assembly & Grade 6 Presentation - Wednesday 17th December (1:00pm - 2:30pm)
  • Term 4 Ends (for students) - Wednesday 17th December
  • Term 1 (2026) Students resume - Friday 6th February

Mr Mcculloch's reflection

acting principal                                     

Dear Families, 

As we come to the end of another school year at Our Lady of Lourdes, we pause with gratitude to reflect on all that has been shared, learned and achieved together in 2025. It has been a year marked by growth, care and community and we sincerely thank our students, staff and families for the many ways you have contributed to the life of our school.

To our families, thank you for your ongoing partnership, trust and support. Your encouragement and involvement play such an important role in nurturing our children’s learning, wellbeing and faith. To our dedicated staff, we are deeply grateful for your commitment, professionalism and care for each child. And to our students, thank you for the joy, energy and curiosity you bring to our school each day - you continue to inspire us.

As we enter the Christmas season, we are reminded of the message at the heart of this holy time: hope, peace, love and joy. May this season be a time of blessing for your families, filled with moments of rest, togetherness and renewal.

We wish all Our Lady of Lourdes families a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and restful holiday break. 

With every blessing,

Ben
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Specialist Subjects in 2026
​As part of the new Enterprise Agreement, teacher release time has increased by one hour per week to support planning, assessment and classroom preparation. To accommodate this important change, we have introduced adjustments to our specialist learning program for 2026.

To achieve the required release time while maintaining a rich learning experience for students, two new specialist subjects - Technologies and Humanities and Social Sciences - will be introduced. These areas were selected based on the expertise of available staff and their alignment with curriculum and reporting requirements.

In 2026, Japanese will not be offered as a specialist subject. The availability of Languages within our curriculum will be reviewed before the end of 2026 to determine future directions.

A key strategic priority throughout this process has been to minimise split classes and shared teaching, ensuring greater consistency and stability for students wherever practicable.

We look forward to continuing to design and deliver a rich, engaging and future-focused curriculum that supports every learner and broadens the horizons of all students at Our Lady of Lourdes.
Social Media Age Restrictions
A reminder to our school community that from 10th December young people under 16 will not be allowed to create or hold accounts on certain social media platforms.

The eSafety Commissioner advises that parents and carers can help their under 16s by talking openly about the age restrictions, finding out how they currently use social media and how that may be impacted by the new law.

There are no penalties for under 16s who access an age-restricted social media platform, or for their parents or carers. Penalties will apply to age-restricted platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts on their platforms.

Information and resources to support parents and carers, and young people to prepare for the change are available at the eSafety Social media age restrictions hub.
Visit eSafety.gov.au. 

School news

Final School Assembly - Wednesday 17th December (1:00pm - 2:30pm)
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​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.

Kindergarten 2027
We are now accepting enrolments for Kinder 2027. Enrolment forms are available on our school website or can be collected from the office.
Interviews for existing families will commence in Term 1, 2026.
If you require any assistance with the enrolment process, please contact the school office.

Religious educATION

Gospel Reading
Matthew 1:18-24
An angel appears to Joseph, directing him to take Mary as his wife and telling him that the child she will bear will be called Emmanuel.
Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings
  1. Invite children to name someone they trust and discuss why they trust this person. Say: We trust people whom we know care about us. We trust them to tell us the truth and to look out for us.
  2. Say: In today’s Gospel, we’ll learn about Joseph’s trust in God. Ask: Who is Joseph? (Jesus’ foster father)
  3. Read aloud today’s Gospel, Matthew 1:18–24.
  4. Say: The angel of God tells Joseph that Mary will have God’s Son and name him Jesus, which means “God saves.” The angel says Jesus will save people from their sins. Ask: When Joseph wakes up from his dream, does he do what the angel of the Lord has commanded him? (Yes. He takes Mary into his home. He names her son Jesus.)
  5. Say: Joseph trusted God. We too can trust in God. He cares for each of us and is always with us.
  6. Conclude by praying: God, we put our trust in you now and always.
Loyola Press. (2025). Sunday Connection. Loyola Press. Retrieved from https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/

Sports Update & Information

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

Student of the week

Week 8

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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